Have you ever wondered how bringing more gratitude to your life could benefit you?
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about the benefits of practising gratitude, to increase wellbeing, happiness and build resilience and connection. I’ve decided to explore how it be beneficial in your quest to feel your best self.
Gratitude journal
I started a daily gratitude journal about 1 year ago after, reading about the practice, and I have managed to stick to it. I downloaded an App on my phone called “Presently”. Every day I think of three things I am grateful for and I write them down in my diary and the App reminds me. These can be anything from feeling grateful for the sensation of the sunshine on my face to feeling grateful for the lovely cup of coffee I just had. It can also be bigger things such as feeling grateful for the supportive people in my life. Here’s an example:
Today I am grateful for:
- Lovely people to spend a Saturday in the park with playing games and eating ice cream
- The gorgeous big blue skies and the fluffy white clouds
- Swimming in the reservoir and the feeling of weightlessness in the water
It takes less than 5 minutes a day to do this and it’s well worth it for the benefits you gain.
How gratitude makes you happy
The science behind this practice shows that if you consistently practice gratitude you will start to notice more good in your life. Our brains also start to notice things we may not have otherwise paid attention to.
It can be really transformative in encouraging positive thinking and a more optimistic outlook in general. You will naturally start to embrace the fullness of life and be more satisfied, happier and less depressed and anxious. You’ll also start to build resilience and be more hopeful in your outlook to life.
Research shows that people who practice gratefulness are able to show more compassion and kindness to others, feel more positive emotions and enjoy better sleep. There’s even some evidence to show that regular practice helps strengthen the immune system.
One of the founders of the positive psychology movement, Martin Seligman, conducted research into what he calls “the three blessings” exercise. This involves writing down three things that went well during your day, before you go to sleep each night, and then reflecting on these events. Seligman has concluded that people who make this a regular daily practice are “less depressed, happier and addicted to this exercise”.
How gratitude helps mental health
Research studies have also been conducted showing that gratitude practice can significantly improve mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
It has also been proven as an effective tool for post-traumatic stress disorder or coping with traumatic events. Gratitude can also build resilience against stress.
It’s important to note that practising gratitude may not always have immediate affects. It can take time for the positive outcomes to show so it’s important to persist for at a least a couple of weeks to start to experience the benefits.
How gratitude rewires your brain
Studies have been done using brain scanners on people who have practiced gratitude in a controlled setting. The results showed that people who demonstrated gratefulness were: more generous, felt less guilt and had more activity in the area of the brain associated with learning and decision making. Scientists believe that practising gratitude can have long lasting effects on the brain and improve mental health.
Over time, gratitude can build neural sensitivity to more positive thinking. Or more simply, the more you practice gratitude the more your default thinking mode becomes aligned with positivity rather than negativity.
5 ways to practice gratefulness:
1. Start a gratitude journal:
You can do this either in a small notebook, in your electronic journal, or via an App like Presently. Find a time of the day (preferably at the end of the day) where you can consistently write down three things you are grateful for that day. This gives you a chance to fully review the day and think about what made you happy, felt good and was a positive experience.
It’s good to vary your entries so you are reflecting on different things you are grateful for. So whilst I am sure you are always grateful for your family, and/or friends, try to get into more specific details so you are allowing your brain to adapt to new experiences.
So for example, “I’m grateful for my sister and for her making me this delicious meal”. Or “I’m grateful for my husband for bringing me a cup of tea in bed”. This way you will start to notice the small things people are doing for you and you will start to develop a deep appreciation.
2. Gratitude meditation:
Many Buddhist Monks traditionally start their day meditating on the things in their lives they are grateful for. This doesn’t always mean the obvious good things. It can mean reflecting on the things which aren’t initially positive and then exploring what learning experiences or personal growth can be gained.
There are lots of great guided meditations you can follow to begin to practice gratitude for yourself. Here are some to try:
· The Greater Good Science Centre: 10 minute meditation
· From positivepsychology.com
· From Jess Heslop on Spotify
As with all guided meditations, finding a voice which works for you is very much based on personal preference so try a few until you find one which works for you!
3. Play the gratitude game:
Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks about this in his books the Four Pillar Plan and Feel Better in Five he frequently talks about how he has built gratitude into his family life. Every evening as they are sitting down to eat, his family play a gratitude game. They each take it in turns to answer five questions about their day:
- What have you done today to make someone else happy?
- What has someone else done today to make you happy?
- What have you learned today?
- What have you done today to make yourself happy?
How did you feel when you made someone else happy?
This serves to connect the family, helps them to discover new things about each other and helps encourage an optimistic and positive mindset. He says “more often than not, we leave the dinner table glowing”.
You don’t have to do this with family, you could write it down in your journal or get together with a friend and do it.
4. Start a gratitude jar:
Keep an empty jar in your house and every time you are notice you are thankful for something in your life write it down on a slip of paper. Soon the jar will start to fill up. Any time you feel down or need a pick up go to your jar and read some of your reflections. This will hopefully give you a boost and remind you of some of the positive things in your life.
5. Write a gratitude letter:
This exercise involves writing a letter to someone you are particularly grateful to. You don’t even need to actually send the letter, the act of writing out the letter will perform the same benefits in the brain.
In the letter you write out the details of why you are grateful to that particular person and what they have done for you.
If you can visit the person after writing and sending the letter (if you choose to actually send it) then even better!
There are some more detailed instructions you can follow here on the Greater Good in Action website.
So what do you have to lose?
Give it a go and in just 5 minutes a day you could feel happier, healthier and a more positive you!
