If you look at your overall life, there are always things that you could be thankful for that we sometimes forget to see and appreciate – whether that’s the gift of health, the comfort of a home, a loving family or friends or small moments that brighten your day, like a kind gesture. These are the sorts of things we know we should be grateful for, but sometimes forget or take for granted.
Beyond that, when we look deeper, we can also foster gratitude for even the most challenging experiences and feelings, as they all often help us appreciate what we have, compel us to move beyond the challenge or simply recognize the beauty of our everyday life.
When we focus on the negative, it can be very challenging to see the cup as half full and feel authentic gratitude. We all have the CHOICE about how we see and experience life.
Feeling and expressing gratitude are scientifically proven to have many benefits. According to Psychology Today, there are 7 benefits that can come from incorporating gratitude in our daily lives.
- Gratitude can improve our physical health and people who regularly express this emotion tend to lead healthier and happier lives.
- It’s no surprise, but expressing gratitude improves our psychological health too. We can reduce negative and toxic emotions more easily like envy or jealousy, and it also reduces our rates of depression, and increases overall happiness.
- Gratitude also improves our relationships and can allow us to make new friends easily. By saying “thank you” and showing appreciation for your coworkers or new people, a study has found that this entices more people to continue to have an ongoing relationship with you.
- People who practice gratitude more frequently, tend to display less aggression and don’t react as negatively to feedback. They tend to display more empathy and sensitivity and are less motivated to seek revenge.
- Gratitude can help your self-esteem! Grateful people tend to enjoy a higher self esteem since they tend to be genuinely happy for other people’s accomplishments, rather than resentful or jealous by comparing themselves to others.
- Gratitude also increases your mental toughness. This attitude allows you to build resilience, so you’re able to withstand tough times, and still recognize everything else you can be thankful for.
- Sleep! Who doesn’t love a little more shut eye? It’s been reported that if you spend 15 minutes before bed taking note of everything you’re thankful for, you’ll enjoy a longer and better sleep.
As we get closer to the holiday season, we cant help but ponder what it would be like if we ALL could have the experience of “It’s a wonderful life” and pull back the veil of illusion to see the beauty of the life we have, right in front of us. If you don’t see that beauty or feel grateful, you can learn the skill of learning how to love the life you live, while you also create the life you want!