Gratitude is a ray of sunshine in a demanding world like ours. It brings us back to the present, providing self-reflection so we’re more attuned to our surroundings. We become more appreciative of everything in our lives, especially the good, so we can live a life of gratitude. 

Someone who has a negative mindset might shift perspectives and be more appreciative of everything he has in life. Suddenly, we’re able to focus more on everything we have without thinking about what we don’t. This has a magical effect on our mental health and well-being. 

Gratitude has life-changing benefits that can be unlocked through little contemplation. One can open their eyes to a world of dreams and success if they’re able to have gratitude. It helps build strong relationships, boosts mental health, and brings instant happiness. You are able to recognize what you have been gifted and stop worrying about superficial things. 

Benefits of practicing gratitude

  • Mental health improvement

There are many mental health benefits to gratitude. Once we become more appreciative of others, we’re able to regulate our emotions as well. Things that often lead to depression and anxiety will become small in comparison to everything good we already have in our lives. We can suddenly come to terms with our surroundings without worrying about what makes us whole. 

According to a study, people tend to feel happier overall when they are appreciative, which is a pleasant emotion in and of itself. Additionally, because the focus moves from bad experiences to more positive ones, some research indicates that incorporating gratitude exercises into psychotherapy sessions can support the development of a positive cognitive perspective.

Gratitude is a stress reliever that helps us be more in control of our emotions. When things get difficult, people often feel stressed and anxious. During this time, if you think about all the good that’s already there in your life, you instantly get a serotonin rush. You know you are in control of your emotions. 

  • Positive relationships

 

When a relationship is going through a rough patch, be it romantic or platonic, think about how you would feel if that person wasn’t there anymore. The feeling you get will determine how much you want to work on that relationship. If you feel sad, you’ll instantly feel gratified that you have these people in your life. You’ll even want to do anything to make it work and build social interactions with them. 

 

  • Physical health

 

When you’re feeling good on the outside, you start feeling good on the inside as well. The same goes for gratitude. It has the power to lower blood pressure and improve sleep. It is inevitable that once you start feeling good, you’ll sleep better at night as well. Mental health has a lot of effect on your physical health. Whatever you think, might affect your body as well.

Incorporating a Gratitude Mindset

  • Morning Routine

When you’re cultivating a gratitude mindset within yourself, you need to start by bringing some changes to your lives. Start your morning with a 2–3-minute gratitude ritual in which you reflect on what you are grateful for that day. You can even start a gratitude journal by writing down everything you’re grateful for that day. Elaborate on each thing you have on the list. It helps you see things more clearly. It is also shown that you should get more personal, meaning, writing about people is more effective than writing about things. Events that give you a rush of happiness can extremely help in exploring the depths of your gratitude. 

  • Mindful Gratitude Practices

There are some habits that need to be added to your everyday lives. These habits make you more mindful of your blessings. They are a way of being thankful to the universe for giving you the chance to explore them. Say thank you when somebody does something for you or makes you feel good. This way you will acknowledge all the good things happening in your life.

Whenever you’re in a challenging situation, try staying positive and even seeking the good in them. This will prevent you from getting into that sad depressive rabbit hole that you won’t be able to get out of. 

  • Gratitude in Action

One of the best ways you can express gratitude is through actions. Whenever you like something others have done, try doing something to make them feel good. This could include writing handwritten notes, and thoughtful gestures. Volunteer work is another way to do it as it’s how you’re giving back to the world.

It might even generate a ripple effect for people to get inspired and continue doing the same thing for others. They might get influenced by you and would eventually want to do that to others whom they’re grateful for.

Barriers to Gratitude  

  • People are entitled and might think they deserve everything good that happens to them. This way they become less appreciative of others and more appreciative of themselves. It will be extremely difficult for others to live with them.
  • Sometimes people aren’t dealt with a good hand and have seen many hardships in their lives. This makes them bitter towards gratitude as they feel like there’s nothing to be grateful for. No matter what the setback, there will always be something good to inspire you. Reflect on it and find what makes that situation bearable. It will help you navigate a life full of beauty and discipline. There’s light after darkness, you need to skip through hoops to find what works best for you. It’s times like these that will help you learn and grow into better humans.

Conclusion

Practicing thankfulness might be difficult or seem to offer little benefit to many people, particularly those who are dealing with mental health issues. It’s critical to keep in mind that appreciation is only one strategy for enhancing mental wellness. If showing thankfulness isn’t enough, it doesn’t indicate that it has led to failure.  

It’s best to seek professional help when needed as gratitude is just one strategy among many to improve mental wellbeing. 

God bless

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