To Practice Gratitude

There is one practice I can recommend to anyone that will give them a measurable benefit, it’s not hypnosis. It is To Practice Gratitude. I came across this recent a scientific study on the mental and physical health benefits of Gratitude. You can read the full study in this link.

The article is a great read and while I won’t go into all the details of the study but in brief the study describes the following benefits:

Gratitude, defined as an affirmation of goodness and recognition of sources beyond oneself, yields numerous benefits across various aspects of well-being.

• Mentally, it boosts self-confidence, patience, and resilience, while reducing envy, depression, and materialism.
• Physically, it enhances sleep, lowers blood pressure, prevents overeating, motivates exercise, strengthens the immune system, improves pain tolerance, controls glucose levels, extends lifespan, and aids heart patients.
• Emotionally, it uplifts mood, manages grief, transforms memories, contributes to happiness, and fortifies relationships with romantic partners, friends, and family.
• Socially, it fosters healthy relationships, attracts like-minded individuals, improves workplace dynamics, enhances retention, productivity, and decision-making skills, and promotes fulfillment.

Amid challenges like the pandemic, practicing gratitude becomes essential for maintaining mental well-being and reinforcing positivity.

How To Practice Gratitude

I would like to give you the simplest steps to make Gratitude a regular practice in you life.

Be intentional about practicing Gratitude. The great thing about this practice is that it only requires your attention. You don’t need to write in a journal, but you can if you like that practice. One doesn’t need a special time of day to practice Gratitude. Anyone can do it while laying bed or walking down the street. All it takes is a small portion of your attention span.

The Simplest Gratitude Exercise

Start by simply noticing your current state, mentally, physically and emotionally. Then in your mind or aloud say the words “I am grateful for….” and finish the sentence with anything that would be true and appropriate. How you complete the sentence is up to you but you must find something you are grateful for and acknowledge it. Next step, do it again.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

Any amount of time doing this is good. But you will find the longer you do it, the better you are likely to feel when you stop. Once you have conclude this exercise notice again how you feel and compare that to before you started.

You should notice that there are a LOT of things you can be grateful for, the clothes you are wearing, the people you know and care about, the brief smell of flower that quickly fades. No item, article or event is too trivial nor too grand to not have Gratitude for.

More Great Ways To Practice Gratitude

Gratitude goes beyond a simple reaction, it’s an attitude that can train our brains to focus on the positive. There are other ways to more thoroughly make Gratitude a pervasive practice in your life.  Here are some proven ways to cultivate gratitude:

1. Journaling: Documenting positive experiences daily, weekly, or monthly helps condition the brain to appreciate what we have.
2. Visual reminders: Taking pictures of things we’re grateful for serves as a visual cue to reinforce gratitude.
3. Sharing with loved ones: Acknowledging small acts of kindness from family and friends strengthens our appreciation and relationships. “We rise up by lifting others” a friend of mine often say. There is wonderful feeling you get when you tell someone how you appreciate them when expecting nothing in return.
4. Writing gratitude letters: Sending thank-you notes or letters to someone weekly significantly boosts mental health and happiness. Seriously! There is a slightly more amount of effort to this but the emotional payoff is HUGE.

Conclusion

The practice of gratitude emerges as a powerful tool for enhancing both mental and physical well-being. The scientific study discussed highlights the multifaceted benefits of gratitude, spanning across various aspects of life. From bolstering mental resilience to improving physical health and nurturing social connections, gratitude proves to be a transformative practice. Particularly in challenging times, cultivating gratitude becomes essential for fostering positivity and maintaining mental wellness. Implementing gratitude into daily life can be as simple as taking a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the things we often overlook. Whether through a brief mental exercise or more elaborate practices like journaling or writing gratitude letters, the benefits are vast. By making gratitude a regular part of our lives, we not only enhance our own well-being but also contribute to a more positive and fulfilling existence for ourselves and those around us.