The Incredible Benefits of Practicing Gratitude And Simple Steps On How To Start
When you make gratitude a part of your routine, it has a huge impact on your wellbeing. It’s the key to unlocking a happier and healthier life, which means it’s so important to create a daily ritual that allows you to appreciate all your blessings!
Unlike what a lot of people think, gratitude is more that giving thanks when you’re given a gift or helped out with a favour.
To get the real benefits, gratitude needs to be something you do consistently and consciously. It should become a practice and a routine that lets you fully connect with all the good and meaningful things that you have around you.
HOW TO BEGIN A GRATITUDE PRACTICE
There are lots of ways you can get started with gratitude – and even if you have a busy lifestyle, it can easily fit around your schedule. So no excuses for not trying this out, ladies!
Make it a habit
Gratitude can be practised at any time of the day. What’s important is finding a routine that works for YOU.
This could look like a morning gratitude practice that sets you up feeling positive and motivated. Or it could be part of your nightly routine, where you reflect on all the good things that happened throughout the day,
Whichever you choose, your gratitude practice doesn’t have to take long. In fact, it’s much better to keep it short and simple so you’re able to make it a regular habit that you really enjoy doing.
KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Research has shown that regular gratitude journaling increases optimism and can help you to feel better about your life. To turn this into a habit, keep a notebook next to your bed and jot down a few things that you’re grateful for each morning when you wake or each night before you go to sleep.
SHARE YOUR THANKS WITH OTHERS
An easy way to add more gratitude into your life is to regularly give thanks to those around you. The key here is that it has to be genuine! Be mindful of all the little things throughout the day that your loved ones do and let them know how much it means to you.
6 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
Now you know how you can start your practice, it’s on to the best part - the benefits of gratitude! There’s a lot of research that shows that gratitude can boost your health and improve your outlook on life. It’s even been shown that gratitude gives us a feel-good hit of dopamine.
It really is amazing that it’s possible to get so many good things from something so simple. To give you more detail, here are 6 specific benefits that show how this new and easy habit could improve your quality of life…
1. GRATITUDE INCREASES HAPPINESS (WOO!)
Studies have shown that writing in a gratitude journal can give you a more positive view on life and can improve your daily mood.
The reason for this could be because gratitude releases the chemical dopamine. But it could also be because a regular gratitude practice trains our brains to notice the good things around us. When we’re focused on gratitude, it’s pretty hard to feel negative – and with regular practice, this becomes our new mindset.
2. GRATITUDE STRENGHTENS RELATIONSHIPS
As humans, we’re meant to be social and have meaningful relationships with those around us. When we begin a gratitude practice, it’s much easier for us to connect with our loved ones and be appreciative of everything they offer to our lives.
A 2013 study also found that expressing gratitude to our partner improves the quality of our relationship. This means gratitude literally impacts and benefits everyone around us, too.
3. GRATITUDE REDUCES STRESS
If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, gratitude could be the answer! It’s been found that gratitude can help us regulate our emotions, which is a super important part of stress management. Studies have also found that our heart rate decreases when we practise gratitude and this can be linked to feeling calm.
As well as this, writing a gratitude journal can help us sleep better – something that can have a huge positive impact if you’ve been feeling overworked.
4. GRATITUDE IMPROVES PHYSICAL HEALTH
Gratitude makes us value the things we have in our lives – so when we’re grateful for our health and our bodies it makes sense that we do what we can to look after them. Because of this, those who practise gratitude have been found to exercise more often and get regular check-ups to keep their health in top form.
One study also found that those people experienced fewer aches and pains and generally felt healthier than others. That has to be worth it, right?!
5. GRATITUDE INCREASES MENTAL RESILIENCE
There have also been some amazing studies that have looked into how gratitude can help us overcome trauma and make us more resilient. This is so important because mental strength equips us to deal with the most difficult times in our lives.
One study looked into Vietnam War veterans and found that those who practised gratitude experienced lower levels of PTSD.
This shows us that although there will always be times when life feels hard, gratitude can serve as a reminder to shift our focus and choose to see the good no matter what.
6. GRATITUDE BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY
Gratitude helps sharpen your focus and keep you calm – both of which are important if you want to be more productive!
With a regular practice, you’ll find that gratitude totally shifts your thinking from lack to fulfilment. It reconnects you with what’s most important in your life. And in turn, this can help you to persevere with your goals and focus on the things that truly matter.
