Let’s be thankful - Practise Intentional Gratitude

Let’s be thankful - Practise Intentional Gratitude

How often do you stop to appreciate good things in your life such as the people who made you smile or the things that well went or the food that was delicious?

It’s often those simple little things that go unnoticed. It can be all too easy to focus on what’s not going well in our day or our life that we miss all the good stuff that’s right in front of us.

Why is it so? Well we are made that way where we stop seeing the good things right in front of us, no matter how much good there is to be seen and focus our energy on things that did not go well. There are so many things in life, right now, without which one can’t live but most days, you don’t give those things a second thought. This is called negativity bias. However, there is a scientifically proven way to overcome this negativity bias. It is by intentionally practising gratitude.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative and is associated with several mental and physical health benefits. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life and respond with feelings of kindness, warmth and other forms of generosity.

The word ‘Gratitude’ is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In most ways, gratitude incorporates all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether material or immaterial. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with hardship, and build strong relationships. Over the years gratitude practice has been heavily researched and validated. It isn’t about ignoring or avoiding your problems or challenges. It’s about giving you a more balanced perspective on life.

Benefits of being Grateful

The benefits of being grateful can be emotional, mental, and even physical. Often when you’re feeling grateful, you’re better able to manage stress. As you’re probably well aware, when you don’t properly handle stress, your health and well-being often take a hit. Being grateful is a healthy way to combat those potentially harmful consequences. Gratitude is an easy way of retraining your brain. If you focus on the good, soon you will see more, enjoy more and appreciate more. It lessens anxiety and depression symptoms and helps to calm the mood of those who are depressed. You can feel greater connection and feel more satisfied with friends, family, school, community and yourself.

Studies show that people who practice gratitude-

1. are healthier

2. are happier

3. sleep better

4. are more resilient

5. are more optimistic

6. cultivate deeper relationships with friends, family and partners

7. are less materialistic

8. have higher sense of self worth

9. take better care of health

10. more helpful and generous

Everyone can benefit from making an effort to practice gratitude every day. These 4 steps can help you start feeling more grateful, and appreciative of the good things in your life:

1. Notice good things, look for them and appreciate them.

2. Savour, absorb, and really pay attention to those good things. There are moments when you naturally, right then and there, feel filled with gratitude. These are moments when you say to yourself, "Oh, wow, this is amazing!" or "How great is this!"

3. Pause. Notice and absorb that feeling of true, genuine gratitude. Let it sink in. Soak it up. Savour your blessings in the moment they happen.

4. Expressing gratitude is more than courtesy, manners, or being polite. It's about showing your heartfelt appreciation. When you thank someone, you're also practicing the first two gratitude skills: you've noticed something good, and you've genuinely appreciated it.

Here are some simple ways to make gratitude a part of your life:

1. Keep a gratitude journal and add to it every day.

2. Notice the beauty in nature each day.

3. Smile more often.

4. Watch inspiring videos that will remind you of the good in the world.

5. Include an act of kindness in your life each day.

6. Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content.

7. Cook meals with love, think of the people you will feed.

8. Don’t gossip or speak badly about anyone.

9. Remember to compliment your friends and family when they look good.

10. Write a card to someone you haven’t seen in a while and tell them something nice.

11. Commit to one day a week when you won’t complain about anything.

12. Reward efforts, if someone does something nice for you, do something nice for them.

13. Meditate with your gratitude list, giving thanks for all your good fortune.

14. Live mindfully, not worrying about the past or future.

15. Post quotes and images that remind you to be grateful around your house.

16. Embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities to grow.

17. Send love to your enemies or people you dislike.

18. See the growth opportunity in your mistakes.

19. Cut out pictures of all the things that you are grateful for and make a gratitude collage.

20. Practice gratitude at the same time every day to make it a habit.

21. Focus on your strengths.

Last but not the least, be the change you want to see in the world by making gratitude a part of each day. If we all practise gratitude more regularly, the world will be a better place.