7 Prove Life Changing Benefits of Gratitude
Posted on February 23, 2020 by Amy Farley, One of Thousands of Family Coaches on Noomii.
Practicing gratitude daily can have positive impact on your your life, your overall wellbeing. I will guide you every step of the way.
Have you ever been through so many difficult times in your life and found it hard to focus on anything other than your problems? Or have you heard someone complain constantly about how their life sucks or nothing good ever happens to them, all they have is bad luck? Of course it can be hard to avoid feeling sorry for yourself, as you only focus on the negative aspects of the situation in your life. Today I’m going to clear this up for you and help you to understand why gratitude is so important for healthy functioning not only is it great for your mental health but the benefits are somewhat endless, practicing gratitude daily can change your life entirely.
Some people misunderstand the reason you should be grateful. When I discuss some simple ways to practice gratitude everyday to people I know personally you wouldn’t believe some of the responses I get. I will give an example, My advice: " you can start by saying thank you to the waitress at the restaurant for their service you," their response: Why? How does that benefit me? The only person benefiting from me doing this is the waitress. It is common nature for us to seek self interest.
If you exchange self-pity for gratitude, your mental state will change. I have been doing this for the past 2 – 3 years and the effects of gratitude is happiness and calmness have helped me tremendously its sort of a gift that takes time to develop.
Having trouble seeing the positive aspects of your life? Try using a gratitude journal and record every moment in your life that you are grateful for or you can do what I do I silently practice gratitude daily. I’m a deep thinker, journalling is not my thing, but there are so many things to be grateful for, you can start by looking around you for example, your family, friends or just be grateful to be healthy and alive. When you start with this thought everything will start to flow nicely. Believe me you will have slip ups but it’s worth the try. Trust me.
7 Ways To Use Gratitude To Improve Your Life:
1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships – Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners, but showing appreciation can help you win new friends, thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. Acknowledging other people’s contributions can lead to new opportunities.
2. Gratitude improves physical health – Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.
3. Gratitude improves psychological health – Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Gratitude increases happiness and reduces depression.
4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression – Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kindly, those who practice gratitude are less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.
5. Grateful people sleep better – Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, health and well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.
6. Gratitude improves self-esteem – Gratitude increased athletes’ self-esteem, an essential component to optimal performance. Gratitude reduces social comparisons. Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs—a major factor in reduced self-esteem—grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.
7. Gratitude increases mental strength – Gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for —even during the worst times—fosters resilience.
