Why Gratitude Is Important For You
What does "gratitude" mean to you? This word is mentioned so often by so many people that it has become kind of a cliché. But don’t think of "gratitude" as a meaningless buzzword. It truly is something important that can change the way you view life.
Let's focus on what the word means. Gratitude is a state of mind that we create when we affirm good in our lives that comes from outside of ourselves, or from relishing in small pleasures.
Why is this so important? It’s important because there are many benefits to practicing gratitude. Here are some of them:
Wellbeing - Expressing your gratitude can improve your overall sense of wellbeing because it helps reduce negative emotions. This is true for everyone, regardless of their mental health condition. Research from the University of California Berkeley has shown that people who suffer from mental health problems tend to develop fewer negative emotions after they get into the habit of practicing gratitude.
Relationships - Gratitude strengthens interpersonal relationships. According to Psychology Today, people who practice gratitude "are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner," and they "experience more sensitivity and empathy toward other people." This means that if you have a grateful mindset, you will be able to bond with others more easily and understand people better.
Optimism - A focus on gratitude can increase optimism by shifting energies to more positive emotions. A mindset of gratitude empowers your brain to concentrate less on problems, setbacks, and disappointments and more on hope, opportunities, and blessings in your life. This changes your outlook on life!
Happiness - The pursuit of happiness is subjective, but the satisfaction that comes from practicing gratitude has a lasting positive effect. The more we practice gratitude, the more positive we feel, thus the happier we are with our lives. No one is happy 100% of the time. But people who are full of gratitude are happier more often than people who don't practice gratitude much.
Clearly, gratitude is amazingly beneficial! So why is it so difficult sometimes? We all have moments where we completely forget about gratitude. Or sometimes, we would like to feel it, but our minds just don't quite get there.
When your mind is far away from gratitude, you feel deeply unhappy. It becomes easy to envy other people. You constantly look at others and ask yourself, "Why can't I have what they have?" You focus so much on greener grass on the other side of the fence that you forget about your own grass that you haven't watered.
I know how that feels, and it isn't fun. But one huge thing that has helped me is creating a gratitude journal -- and I recommend that for you, too. Starting a gratitude journal is a wonderful way to get in touch with what makes you feel grateful.
Here's one way to do it: Every day, at the beginning or end of each day (whichever you prefer), write down three things you are grateful for. Keep doing this every day for at least two weeks in order to get into a habit.
Then after that, if you only want to do it once or twice a week, it's okay. Or maybe you will want to keep doing it every day! Maybe you will choose to write five things, or seven things. It's up to you. But again, the key is to develop a consistent habit.
Give it a try and see how it goes. Once you start doing it, you'll become more positive-minded, and you’ll more easily notice the good things in your life. So if you're ready to feel better and focus on the positive, get your journal and start expressing your gratitude today!
