Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life. Make gratitude a daily practice and you could benefit your wellbeing for these reasons…
Gratitude Helps You Make New Friends
Showing appreciation can help you gain new friends. Also, acknowledging other people’s contributions to your life can lead to new opportunities.
Grateful Practice: If you’ve enjoyed meeting somebody new, send them a quick thank you message afterwards to say so.
Gratitude Is Linked With A Better Immune System
Gratefulness is linked with optimism, which in turn is linked with better immune health. A study on stressed-out law students showed that those who were optimistic had more immune-boosting blood cells than those who were pessimistic.
Grateful Practice: Don’t let a busy schedule take up your time to be grateful! Keep an ‘I am grateful for…’ jar of notes for you to refer back to when you’re feeling stressed.
Gratitude Helps You Sleep Better
Writing down what you’re thankful for at the end of your day can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Grateful Practice: Just before you drift off to sleep, spend around 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments.
Gratitude Improves Self-Esteem
Rather than becoming resentful towards people who have ‘more’ than you – which is a major factor in reduced self-esteem – grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.
Grateful Practice: Take the time to congratulate your friends on their accomplishments.
Gratitude Can Strengthen Your Relationship
Being thankful for the little things your partner does can make your relationship stronger. In our busy lives, it can be easy to not spend time being appreciative for the smaller gestures.
Grateful Practice: Write in your journal about the thoughtful things your partner does for you.
We all have the opportunity to create an “attitude for gratitude”. Replace your negative thoughts with positive gratitude. Simply take a few moments every day to focus on all that you have.
Written by Flora Firth
Instagram: @feelgoodflora
Twitter: @feelgoodflora
Facebook: @feelgoodflora
About The Author
Flora Firth
Flora is on her wellness journey and hopes to encourage you to join her. She’s proud to be voicing the importance of mind health in a world where we’re striving for unrealistic perfection.