Benefits of Practicing gratitude Daily
Most likely, if you’re reading this, you already engage in several daily activities to improve your well-being. You’re probably eating a relatively nutrient-dense diet and moving your body. You’re getting plenty of sleep and waking up early to journal and meditate every morning. While these routines are excellent for improving your health and happiness, one practice often overlooked is the practice of gratitude. Here’s why Practicing gratitude may just be one of the best exercises you can incorporate into your life.
Why Gratitude is Good for Your Well-being
Researchers have taken the time to understand why gratitude can be such a beneficial practice. The National Institute for Health conducted a study showing that the practice of gratitude triggers activity in the hypothalamus. Several essential body functions such as temperature, sleep, fatigue, metabolism, and stress are controlled by the hypothalamus. This indicates that practicing gratitude not only affects your mind but also your body.
Another study looked at MRIs and discovered that people who expressed feelings of gratitude have more brain mass in the areas that regulate pleasure. I think we could all do with feeling a bit more pleasure in our lives!
Law of Attraction
Now, this gets into the realm of quantum physics, but stay with me. The majority of people who practice gratitude express these feelings about events that have already taken place or things they already have. For example, being grateful for your health, your loving and supportive family, and for the nice man in front of you at the cafe this morning who picked up your coffee. The real magic happens, however, when you express gratitude before you receive something. When you pause and take the time to truly feel the feelings of gratitude for an event that hasn’t happened yet, you are putting powerful energy out into the universe. You can create your own future reality with the vibration you are emitting.
Change of Perspective
Expressing gratitude can also help shift your perspective. In a study conducted with 300 college-age adults enrolled in a counseling program, those who wrote letters of gratitude reported better mental health after 4 weeks and experienced the residual effects up to 12 weeks after this exercise. When you regularly practice gratitude, it shifts your outlook, and you experience life with more joy and fulfillment.
How to Start Your Own Gratitude Practice
If you’re intrigued by how beneficial practicing gratitude can be, here are some simple methods to start your own practice:
- Keep a gratitude journal and write 3 things you are grateful for every day
- Write 3 things you are grateful for in the future, as if they have already happened
- Tell your friends, co-workers, and family what you like about them
- Look in the mirror and say out loud what you like about yourself
- Journal about the best thing that happens in your day
- If something negative happens, think of 3 positive things about the situation
- Be mindful and appreciate the beauty of nature every day
It took me a long time to get into the practice of gratitude journaling. One thing that really helped me and I recommend to everyone is the Five Minute Journal from Intelligent Change. The journal’s layout is simple and provides the opportunity to focus on the positive and shift your mindset in just a few minutes per day. (Not sponsored or affiliated, just love this journal!)
Practicing gratitude is a simple and effective way to add some magic into your day. Not only does it change the way you see the world, but it also helps you feel more content and live a more fulfilling life. It might take some time to get comfortable with the practice and explore the full effects, but when you do, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start practicing it a long time ago. So what are you waiting for?
Gratitude and Well Being: The Benefits of Appreciation
National Center for Biotechnology Information
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