by There are so many benefits to practicing gratitude and positive thinking that the number seems endless. It is the key to finding happiness, achieving goals, and being able to live your dream life. Gratitude is a universal trait that crosses all boundaries and has the ability to bring harmony to the world when practiced.
Gratitude Cultivates Happiness
Being grateful creates more positive thinking. People who practice regularly look for the good in things instead of trying to find fault. They are more self-assured and well adjusted and able to deal with adversities better. In addition, they also have stronger connections in their relationships and are more satisfied in their careers. All these things lead to living a happier life.
Gratitude Increase Optimism And Hopefulness
When you focus and try to see the good in your daily situations and interactions, then you tend to have better and more positive days. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges. But if you look at them as opportunities for growth instead of something negative, then they are much easier to handle.
Gratitude Improves Your Health
Numerous studies have shown that people who practice gratitude have stronger immune systems and experiences fewer aches and pains.
They also take better care of themselves by eating healthy and exercising. Daily gratitude and positive thinking not only improves your physical well being but it also improves your mental health and decreases your risk for depression.
Gratitude Promotes Better Sleep
Being grateful helps to elevate stress and worry. This, in turn, makes for a more restful sleep. Take 3 minutes before you go to sleep and think of things that you are grateful for. You can also use a gratitude journal and write down 5 things that you are thankful for that happened that day.
Gratitude Improves Relationships
People who are grateful have higher self-confidence and are able to make new friends easier than people with a negative self-image.
Subsequently, they also have stronger and more meaningful relationships in general because they acknowledge other peoples accomplishments. In addition, they are compassionate and more empathetic which strengthens personal connections.
Gratitude Makes Your More Resilient
Grateful people have increased self-esteem and an overall high sense of well being. They have a strong belief that things are going to work out in a positive way. So when obstacles come along, they adapt easier than people who always see doom and gloom.
In turn, when traumas occur they can recover from them and put them into perspective. Having gratitude and practicing positive thinking reduces the impact of highly stressful situations.
Gratitude In A Higher Vibration
Everything in the universe is energy and gives off vibrations. This is especially true when it comes to our thoughts. Negative emotions like anger, fear, frustration, and worry have very low vibrations and will only attract that back.
However, gratitude is one of the highest vibrations and will bring only positive energy to you. Those people who always seem to have good luck or things always seem to go their way are actually just expressing gratitude.
How Do We Start
There are many ways to add gratitude to your daily life. But if you are new to this then you might need some help. Here are some simple ways to become a grateful person.
Gratitude Journal
This is probably one of the most widely used exercises to begin to bring gratitude into your life. At the end of the day, before you go to bed, write down 5 things you were grateful for that day.
That don’t have to grandiose. They can be as simple the sun shining on your face or talking to a friend. Be careful not to see this as a task you have to do but as a positive way to brighten your mood.
An added bonus is you will sleep better. However, it is more meaningful if you are grateful for people in your life as opposed to just material things
Gratitude Jar
It’s just like it sounds. Find a jar preferably a large one and decorate how you want. The more it stands out the better. Every time you think of something that your thankful for then write it down on a small piece of paper and put it in the jar.
Pretty soon it will fill up and whenever you’re feeling bad or down just look at the jar and this will remind you of all things that are great in your life.
Meditation
With the crazy and hectic lives we lead, meditating may seem impossible. However, it is so powerful and definitely worth doing. First, lie down on your back with your feet slightly apart and hands at your side with palms facing up.
Then take slow deep breaths and start to feel the tension leave your body. Quiet your mind as each breath gets deeper. When you’re fully relaxed begin to visualize all the people and things that you are grateful for.
This also creates a sense of peace and contentment that will allow you to sleep better. You can do this in the morning when you first wake also because you’re already in a relaxed state. An added bonus is that you get your day started in a positive way. If you’re unsure though then you can use a guided meditation.
Tell People About Your Gratitude
It’s important to have feelings of gratitude. But it has even more impact if you actually tell your loved ones how grateful you are for them. And it doesn’t just have to be the people closest to you.
It can as simple as thanking a bank teller or the barista at your coffee shop. Not only will this put you in a good, but it will also uplift theirs. Maybe just text a friend or write a quick email expressing how thankful that they are our in your life.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that practicing gratitude and positive thinking will improve all areas of your life. Those people who choose to live every day with gratitude are healthier, more confident, feel more alive, sleep better, and have stronger connections. Practicing gratitude is one of the keys to true happiness and being able to achieve your dream life.