Did you know that being thankful not only makes you feel better it helps your heart too?
I”m sure you’ve heard people touting the power of gratitude. Gratitude journaling is so popular these days, you can even buy different kinds of specific gratitude journals, or download apps that remind you to jot down your blessings.
You don’t have to have any of these things to practice gratitude, it’s free. Even just spending time each day to note your gratitude will pay off. There’s a growing body of research on the benefits of gratitude. Studies have found that giving thanks and counting blessings can help you sleep better at night.
Gratitude takes very little time, and the benefits are so powerful.
Let’s talk about the benefits of gratitude on you
Gratitude can give you hope.
Research shows that focusing on the positive, in addition to the negative, can boost your mood more than you might expect.
Gratitude improves physical health.
Research has shown that grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people.
As a result, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They make exercise a priority which also increase feelings of well being and are more likely to attend regular check-ups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.
Gratitude Improves Your Psychological Health
The positive emotions from gratitude helps to reduce toxic emotions such as emotion, frustration, resentment and regret.
Your gratitude practice will effectively increase feelings of happiness while reducing depression.
Gratitude Improves your Sleep
Going to bed with positive feelings rather than negative feelings makes it easier to drift off to sleep. Try spending just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.
Gratitude Improves Your Self Esteem
Studies have show that a gratitude practice reduces feelings of social comparison to others. So if you have feelings of jealousy, comparison try gratitude. Once you lower the social comparisons you make you’ll improve your self-esteem and be able to appreciate other’s accomplishments.
Gratitude Increase Your Mental Strength
Research has shown that it not only reduces stress, it also may help to overcome trauma. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for , even during the worst times will help to foster your resilience.
What works for some people may not work for you
To find what works best for you, try to think about what feels right and what feels natural or meaningful to you. Then pick one method and get started whether is mindful gratitude or jotting down what you’re grateful for each day.
Some may find that a daily dose of gratitude in the morning can be transformative or doing it at night will help you get a better night’s sleep.
Everyone has the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude.
Rather than being stuck in the negative complaining about the things you think you deserve, take a few moments today to focus on all that you have.
Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life and improve your health.
