Over the course of history gratitude has been discussed in depth by scientists, scholars, and even spiritual leaders. Today’s society pulls us in many directions. This results in less happiness, toxic relationships, or physical inflammation. That is why it is critical to incorporate the Habit of Gratitude in your daily life. An attitude of gratitude is more than positive thinking or seeing the glass as half full. It is truly about being real with yourself and realizing the good things in your life. It is about taking a beat, stopping the comparisons, letting go of regrets and appreciating who you are, where you are and what you have.
One of the best ways to experience grateful living is to write down three things you are grateful for every day. For recording your gratitude, use a method works best for you, whether it is a paper note pad, the notes app or other app on your smart phone, daily emails to yourself or another method of choice. The point is that you recognize in a way that can be tracked, these things that you are grateful for, so that you can look back and measure how far you have come. This will also drive self-accountability and the repetition will strengthen this new habit.
This new Gratitude Habit comes with a surprising amount Benefits!!!
· You will Feel Happier – By documenting your gratefulness once a day you can enhance your long-term happiness by over 10% according to (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). It is has been proven to increase feelings of optimism, joy, positive emotions and even enthusiasm.
· You will Be More Mentally Resilient – It has been shown to help individuals recover from traumatic events, such as PTSD, people dealing with childhood violence, war veterans or those victims of natural disasters.
· You will Sleep Better Every Night – You will experience more hours of slumber each night, fall asleep faster and feel more refreshed and renewed upon awakening. Better sleep will lead to less fatigue, and you will be mentally sharper the next day. To get better rest instead of counting sheep count your blessing in stead
· You will Experience Better Physical Health – Studies suggest that a life of gratitude; reduces inflammation, strengthens your immune system, reduces symptoms of illness, lowers blood pressure, and makes you less bothered by aches and pains. These physical benefits may encourage you to start an exercise program for physical fitness.
· You will Experience More Satisfied – Unfortunately is easy to focus on negative. You missed your train. You hit snooze one too many times, you spilled some food on your white shirt. All these things seem bad until you realize… missing the trained led you to riding your bike to work, something always wanted to do. Hitting the snooze button allowed you a bit more cuddle time with your spouse. You spilled that spaghetti sauce on your shirt, because you burst into laughter with your closest friends. Gratitude changes perspective.
· You will Become Less Materialistic – With a shifted focus, it becomes evident that it is not things that make you truly happy – it’s experiences, its moments, its loved ones. The more you come to recognize this fact, your life becomes much richer and more abundant. Realizing there is a significant difference between a house and a home.
· You will reduce the chances of Suffering from Burnout – Being and staying mindful helps you avoid experiencing burnout in the first place. Taking a beat to record your gratitude helps you concentrate on the good parts, which can calm you down and let you place your focus where it belongs.
· You will Have Better and More Solid Relationships – On average people enjoy the presence of those who are more positive than they do people who are always on edge and anxious. One way to build strong relationships, focus on the positive more often.
Living a grateful life carries many benefits that will improve your entire life. It would be a bridge too far to ask you to be thankful for a tough situation, especially something beyond your control, however you need take note what is working in your life, analyze why that is working, and then do more of that. The best way to accomplish that to identify at least three things to be grateful for each and every day.