The Science and Power of Gratitude
Spring is a time for renewal. As nature begins a new cycle of life, we too can refresh our mindset to bring more joy into our lives by appreciating the beauty all around us.
Having an effective gratitude practice can have a significantly positive impact on your mental and physical health and well being.
The scientific benefits of effective gratitude practices include:
- Improves psychological health: Research shows that gratitude increases happiness and positivity in our lives
- Improves physical health: Data points to the neurochemical, anti-inflammatory, neuro circuit mechanisms that gratitude triggers are similar to HIIT and exercise.
- Improves quality of sleep
- Improves self esteem: A gratitude practice increases your self esteem by appreciating your uniqueness and accomplishments, as well as other people’s accomplishments.
- Provides resilience to trauma – past and future.
- Strengthens relationships: Benefits social relationship across all relationships including with oneself. Prosocial behavior allows us to be more effective in interactions.
- Overall satisfaction with life: gratitude promotes life satisfaction and contentment. People tend to be more happy, find life more meaningful and joyful by adding a gratitude practice.
Set yourself up for success
Don’t wait for things to happen for you to be grateful. Plan gratitude into your day so you have a continuous flow of gratitude throughout your day. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Morning gratitude ideas:
Think about what would start your day off in the most amazing, enjoyable way, and plan for it. Would you like to be able to stretch first thing? Then set your alarm earlier to accommodate. Does music uplift you? Put together a playlist of your favorite upbeat songs to play while you get ready, and sing along. And don’t forget to dance! Allow your soul to sing. Dress for success, always. Wear something you feel great in.
Express gratitude for:
- the gift of another day when you wake up
- For a good night’s sleep
- For a comfortable bed
- For your favorite morning beverage
- For your health
- For your family, your friends
Afternoon gratitude ideas:
Plan ahead by scheduling lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile. Schedule a walk outside into your day. You can listen to a podcast to learn something new, or enjoy nature. The birds chirping, colors of the trees, and fresh air. Call that friend or family member you’ve been thinking of but haven’t talked to in awhile. Have a list of gratitude options so if the weather isn’t cooperating, or your friend needs to reschedule, you can choose a back up gratitude option to pivot to.
Evening gratitude ideas:
Similar to the morning routine, think about how you like to wind down from the day. What steps can you take to get the best sleep of your life – every night? Schedule it if you have to, until it becomes a habit. But ultimately, this should be something you look forward to. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Express gratitude for:
- A bath to relax you but you never seem to have time and it seems more of a luxury?
- A calming evening beverage like chamomile tea
- Try journaling for 10-15 minutes before bed about things you are grateful for from your day
As you think about things you are grateful for, linger on those thoughts to make sure you feel the gratitude for each one. Then try to increase that feeling of gratitude.
When you intentionally focus on what you are grateful for, you shift your perspective from lack and what isn’t going well, to positive aspects and experiences. The more you express gratitude, the more grateful you become, the more you notice things in your life to be grateful for.
As difficult as life can be, there is always, always something to be grateful for. Even in the hardest, darkest moments. Gratitude is a mindset.
If you’re looking for some tools to help with a gratitude practice, check out Intelligent Change. They have a great gratitude journal that has daily thought provoking quotes, and an easy, user friendly format: Intelligent Change – Tools to Positively Change Your Life
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