Gratitude is associated with both mental and physical health benefits, including improved sleep1, greater happiness2, reduced symptoms of depression3, better overall wellbeing4, and numerous other positive effects.
If you want to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine, this blog is for you. Discover how you can start your gratitude practice with just a few minutes of spare time every day!
What is Gratitude?
This might seem obvious, but gratitude can be thought of in a few different ways; reviewing them can help you decide how you want to approach your own practice of gratitude.
Gratitude as a Trait
For some people, gratitude is part of who they are. You can think of it as part of their personality, something they do without thinking about it, or an approach that they have toward others. People who are disposed to be grateful tend to be more positive, even under challenging conditions.
This may not be you, and it is important to recognize that that is perfectly okay! You do not need to have the gratitude trait to benefit from the practice of gratitude! If you want to be more grateful naturally, practicing gratitude can make this happen for you.
Gratitude as a Feeling
Most people feel gratitude at various points in their lives, a feeling of thankfulness, appreciation, or acknowledgment for something they have received or experienced, either from another person, an unknown source, or just life in general.
People usually describe gratitude as a positive feeling, but it is not comfortable for everyone; some people experience it as dependence or indebtedness, which they may not enjoy. If this sounds like you, rest assured that you can learn to accept, enjoy, and share your gratitude and reap its benefits, too!
Gratitude as an Act or Behaviour
Gratitude can also be thought of as something you do: telling people that you appreciate their kindness, returning favours, writing thank you notes, or “paying it forward” by giving kindness before you receive it.
If you are working on making gratitude a habit, engaging in these behaviours is a great place to start! Make it a point to thank people for the small things they do for you, and open yourself up to receive kindness in return.
How to Practice Gratitude
We have already talked about the easiest way to practice gratitude: thanking people for the everyday things they do for you, whether it is members of your family, coworkers, or the cashier at the grocery store. Everyone appreciates being appreciated, and this is a simple way to make gratitude a habit. Here are some other ways to get into the gratitude groove!
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal is a common way to practice gratitude. You do not need to do extensive writing; you can just note one thing every day that you are grateful for and reflect on why you are grateful for it. You can use a physical journal, take advantage of the many online journals available, or even record your thoughts on a social media platform.
There may be days when you do not feel grateful for anything, and that is fine! Try to think of something very simple, and you will soon discover that there are little things all around you for which to be thankful. Remember that this is about establishing a habit, so keep it up!
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about being present in the moment rather than worrying about the future or mulling over things in your past. This can sound difficult, but once you learn how to do it, it becomes easier and easier to enter a mindful state.
There are some simple exercises you can do to experience mindfulness, such as paying close attention to the sensation of eating, noting the smells, the way the food feels on your tongue, and all the taste sensations you have as you are consuming food. Focus on all of your senses as you are eating. You can write these sensations down as a way of recording your first experience of mindfulness, but this is not a requirement.
Other ways to experience mindfulness are to go for a walk and notice everything around you: the colours, the sounds, the way the ground feels under your feet, and anything else you might miss if you are focused on thoughts outside of the present moment.
Practicing mindfulness helps you to appreciate the everyday things that you may otherwise overlook, which can be an important part of practicing gratitude.
Share your Gratitude
Sharing gratitude makes it spread, making you feel more grateful while infusing your social interactions with positive emotions and intentions. Try some of these:
• Give thank you cards to people who have helped you or who have shown you kindness. Keep a pack of cards at home and at work so they are at hand when you need them.
• Thank the service people you interact with, making eye contact when you do.
• Share compliments freely. We all have things we like or admire in others, so tell them!
• Share a treat! If you are getting a brownie for yourself, get one for your coworker as well.
• Post a positive review for a business you like, being sure to mention specific people who helped you.
• Give small gifts such as a gift card for a coffee, a picture frame, or a packet of seeds. A gift does not have to be elaborate or expensive to show your gratitude.
When You Have Trouble Feeling Grateful
Everyone has times in their lives when they feel everything is going wrong, and there is nothing to be grateful for. It can be very difficult to practice gratitude during these periods.
When that feeling persists, it can help to talk to someone about it. Sometimes, an underlying problem can be resolved by reframing it or thinking about it differently; talking to a counsellor can help because it gives you an objective third party you can run your thoughts by.
It may also be the case that you have a clinical disorder such as depression, which can interfere with your ability to see the positive side of things. Counselling can help you recognize your symptoms and address the problem.
If you would like to try counselling, the team at Kari Walton Counselling is ready to help. We offer a range of treatment options, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, hypnotherapy, group therapy, and family therapy, to assist you with any mental health concern you may be experiencing.
Contact us today to make an appointment. Let’s talk about how we can help you get back to a gratitude mindset.
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References
1 Journal of Psychosomatic Research: A systematic review of gratitude interventions: Effects on physical health and health behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110165
2 Basic and Applied Social Psychology: Using gratitude to promote positive change: A series of meta-analyses investigating the effectiveness of gratitude interventions. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2017.1323638
3 The Journal of Positive Psychology: When do people benefit from gratitude practice? https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.927905
4 International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology: The effect of expressed gratitude interventions on psychological wellbeing: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-023-00086-6