There’s no doubt that now, people become more aware and with it,
… they start looking for emotional and spiritual growth.
Making lists of all the things that you are grateful for has never been so popular…
But, do you know why and how being appreciative can…
… positively impact and transform your life?
Before jumping ahead, I need to share something that I found by practicing gratitude.
Being grateful is life-changing.
Preaching gratitude can be damaging; to you and others.
Especially if done when the person preaching it, is just starting his/her gratitude journey.
And, there’s also the guy who’s preaching more and practicing less to none, a.k.a fake guru.
What I’m trying to say is to be careful when, you too, will share this…
… kind of information with your friend(s) or spouse.
Too much sharing and, you’ll risk becoming annoying/irritating to them and…
… could also lead to you becoming the fake guru.
Best way is to lead by example.
Talk less, do more, be humble!
Ok, here are 9 ways gratitude can transform your life.
Gratitude helps in stress regulation
Research shows that those who are more grateful have lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone.
Also, they have better cardiac functioning and are more resilient to negative experiences.
There are substantial studies that confirmed the fact that…
… by practicing gratitude we can deal with stress better.
When you recognize and appreciate the little things in life…
… you rewire your mind to manage the present situations…
… with more awareness and wider understanding.
By practicing gratitude regularly, you’ll see an improved ability to…
… shift focus and your attention will be more inclined to turn towards…
… the good things in life or to find the positive side of a situation…
… that might otherwise prove stressful.
Gratitude will improve your psychological well-being
By lowering the stress hormones and handling the nervous system functions…
… gratitude substantially lowers symptoms of anxiety and depression.
At a neurochemical level, feelings of appreciation are linked with…
… a rise in the neural modulation of the prefrontal cortex,
… the brain part in control of handling negative emotions like…
… embarrassment, guilt, and violence.
That’s why people who keep a gratitude journal or express appreciation verbally…
… have a much more empathetic and positive mindset.
Gratitude helps release toxic emotions
Research studies revealed that the hippocampus and amygdala,
… both primary regions controlling memory, emotions, and physical performance…
… are triggered when expressing feelings of gratitude.
Gratitude improves physical health
Grateful individuals feel better physically overall.
They experience fewer discomforts and health problems and…
… tend to work out more and regularly.
People that maintain gratitude journals often tend to take better care of their health.
Some researches reveal that it can even aid in reducing blood pressure and…
… keep the body’s immune system healthy and balanced.
To cement, this aspect even further, Counting Blessings VS Burdens…
… a study performed on evaluating the effects of gratitude on physical health,
… showed that 16% of the patients that kept a gratitude journal had reduced pain symptoms…
… and were more willing to exercise and comply with the treatment procedure.
What’s happening is that gratitude regulates the dopamine levels and…
… fills us with more vitality/vigor, thus reducing subjective sensations of pain.
Gratitude helps you sleep better
Robert A. Emmons, the world’s leading expert on gratitude,
… in his book “Thanks: How The New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier”,
… encourages you to count your blessings if you have trouble getting asleep.
When you steer the mind away from worries and mundane stresses…
… towards good things, you become more relaxed.
Gratitude helps relationships
Gratitude can increase your sense of belonging in this world…
… which can make you feel less lonely and more connected.
Also, by appreciating others, literally giving thanks to people for their role in your life…
… will benefit your relationships overall.
It really helps the existing relationships and opens the door to new ones.
Gratitude improves your mental strength
Alex Korb, in his publication “Upward Spiral”, stated that…
… gratitude pushes us to concentrate on the positive aspects of life.
When we give and receive appreciation, our mind is immediately rerouted to focus on…
… what we have, creating inherent inspiration and a solid awareness of the present.
Likewise, at the neurochemical level gratitude serves as a catalyst for neurotransmitters like…
… dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
These neurotransmitters handle our feelings, anxiety, and instant stress reactions.
Other studies show that gratitude can help with trauma and PTSD.
Research published in Behavior Research and Therapy showed that…
… Vietnam war veterans experienced lower rates of PTSD when they practiced being grateful.
Gratitude boosts your self-esteem levels
Being grateful can aid you to feel much better concerning…
… what we have in our lives, put an end to harmful comparisons,
… and appreciate that there is space for everybody to experience joy and success in this life.
When you exercise gratitude, you practice self-love,
… which is genuinely important to live a happy life.
Gratitude creates more energy to work on your goals
People that routinely make lists of things to be grateful for are most likely to…
… accomplish individual goals or have faster progression in their professions.
Gratitude can attach us to our objective, make us realize what we are competent of,
… and provide us with more motivation and capacity to take on challenges.
Gratitude gives us perspective
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you
Lao Tzu
By starting to be grateful, we begin to assume less of ourselves and more of others.
We create empathy and kindness, also we shift the focus away from our own lives…
… and can see others with even more understanding.
Take a moment. Breathe. Be thankful.
Here’s how and why to be more grateful
By shifting our attention to the positive things, we will perform better and…
… in the long run, we’ll become happier.
Your creativity, energy, and intelligence levels all rise when the brain operates at positive.
A study found that people were 31% more productive, achieved 37% higher sales and…
… doctors were 19% faster and more accurate at diagnosing their patients.
So, how can you be more positive and thus reap all its benefits?
You do this by training.
Shawn Achor developed a 21 days training called the…
“21-day challenge”.
You start by choosing one of the five habits listed below and…
… every day, for 21 days in a row you try it.
Doing so will rewire or train your brain to operate more in the positive area.
Here are the 5 habits:
Three gratitudes – write 3 things you’re grateful for.
Each day makes time to write three new things you’re grateful for.
By searching positive aspects/things and not just for the negative elements…
… you help your mind to train a new habit when scanning the (your) world…
… and that habit is to identify and appreciate what you have.
When I started to embed gratitude in my meditation practice…
… I had a really hard time finding positive things to be grateful for.
So, this could be challenging at first for some, but don’t despair…
… you’ll soon realize that you have so much in your life you should be grateful for.
And when that does, you’ll be flooded with joy.
Journaling
Write one positive experience/aspect and relive it by reading it.
Although it’s similar to the three gratitude practices mentioned above…
… the difference lies in detailing one positive experience every day.
This will help your brain to relive that positive memory…
… instead of re-living the negative ones, over and over again.
It will also help you find meaning in your endeavors, rather than just noticing it.
Exercise
Oh, yeah! It really does work.
Keep it simple and keep it manageable.
One day could be only a stretching day. That’s all right!
Don’t overdo it because you’ll soon burn out.
The idea is to be consistent and through that…
… you’ll prove to yourself that you can keep your promises.
Practice meditation
At the time I’m writing this, it’s July 2020.
Racism, global pandemic, technology, new media…
Where are we going with this?
I know. That makes it even harder to keep a clear mind and be present.
Try practicing a simple 3-minute breathing meditation.
By doing it you teach your brain how to focus on one thing…
… and thus, get rid of any distractions.
Engage in a conscious act(s) of kindness
It can be a simple email to praise and thank one person each day.
If you’re a more social person and spend more time outside…
… try helping random people without asking anything in return.
This will not only benefit the receiver, but it will make you feel that you belong…
… and will boost your feeling of social support.
Gratitude jars
This method is a creative approach to journaling and the 3-gratitudes techniques.
But the gratitude jar makes a visual, solid reminder to…
… STOP! Take a minute and appreciate life.
It’s easy to set up.
Basically, all you need is a transparent glass jar or container and…
… some small pieces of paper or sticky notes, right next to the container.
Grab one piece of paper every day and…
… write one thing you’re grateful for that respective day.
I’m tempted to give you some examples of what you could and should be grateful for,
… but I know that you better find those things yourself.
It will be worth it.
As the jar gets loaded up, you will feel more blessed and faithful.
Make sure to fill them with joy!
To find out more ways you can start turning gratitude into a lasting habit,
… please read the following article.
I am grateful that I was able to write and share this article.
The power is within you!
Stay well, stay healthy, fly high,
Namaste!