You might think you’re a grateful person, but keep in mind there is a big difference between thinking you are grateful and actually practising gratitude everyday. Just like there is a difference between knowing something and actually doing it! In today’s modern society it is becoming harder and harder for us to have a deep sense of gratitude because let’s face it, most things are handed to us on a silver platter and we just get used to it.
Living in gratitude means we appreciate things be it little or big, we complain less and we practise saying thank you to people who have done something to us that helped us or made us happy. It is a repeated act of appreciation that can be so easily implemented in our daily lives.
How can we start to live more gratefully?
-Keep a Gratitude Journal. Every morning or night jot down three things you are grateful for- think about about the moments and how you felt during it to really experience appreciation. (This actually rewires our brain to feel happier over time!)
-Tell the people who have done something for us or who simply make our lives a little more pleasant that we appreciate them. Don’t just think it-actually tell them, whether it be via text, a phone call or better yet in person! Too many of us start to get used to certain people and kind acts being done for us- we don’t realise how rewarding it can be to actually let that person know they’re appreciated. It could make their whole day!
-Complain less! This will naturally come from practising being grateful for more things in your life. But naturally, we will complain about things without even being aware so the trick is to be really mindful of this from now on and if you feel yourself complaining- just come up with a solution or make a decision to let it go and get on with life. (Remember, if you don’t like something- the right action will be to change it, if you can’t change it- simply move on!).
-Practice mindfulness. As we start to slow down more we are able to see things around us clearer. Like the beautiful colours in the sky when we’re taking our daily walk- as opposed to our Facebook new’s feed. The more mindful we are, the more we realise the little things in life that can make us smile and help us to realise how amazing the world actually is.
What happens when you start to live gratefully?
- You start to appreciate the little things in life, this makes you happier and more loving to yourself and others.
- You naturally start to focus on the positives (what you have), instead of the negatives (what you don’t have).
- You become more present and mindful and are able to better reflect on things and people around you as well as on yourself.
- You become more respectful to the world around you and naturally want to help anyone in need.
-People start to gravitate to you and admire your positivity- creating a ripple effect where they too want to become more grateful and mindful like you.
Is there any evidence behind gratitude being associated with my happiness?
The answer is there sure is!
Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have researched the effects of gratitude. In one study, participants had to write a few sentences a week around different topics.
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about things in the day that irritated or disappointed them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative).
After 10 weeks of this study, it was found that the group who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Interestingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on the negatives of their day.
Another study done by a leading researcher in this field, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, tested the impact of different positive psychology interventions on 411 people, and compared it with a control assignment where both wrote about early memories. Their weeks assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone they had never properly thanked for his or her kindness. It was found that participants immediately portrayed a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was larger than the other intervention groups, with the positive benefits lasting for a month.
So there you have it, practicing gratitude not only feels good, it actually can create happiness, as well as someone else’s happiness. It’s natural, it’s free, it’s simple and it works! So before you exit this blog and go on to do whatever it was you were going to do..sit and think of three things you could be grateful for right now and someone you could be grateful for and let them know now!
With love,
Jacqui Zdravkovski
Reference-
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier