Gratitude brings peace and mental wellbeing to anyone who practices it consciously or subconsciously.
What does the word ‘gratitude’ mean in the literal sense? It is the act of actively appreciating, being thankful and grateful for everything in one’s life. People who practice gratitude tend to possess a calmer, happier and lighter state of mind that brings improved mental, emotional and spiritual health. This certainly doesn’t mean that their lives are suddenly free of all problems, but that they genuinely start acknowledging the positive elements.
The more one practices gratitude, the less he or she complains about what they don’t have or what’s not working out.
Noticing the little things can actually change one’s life experiences tremendously. The foremost factor is that gratitude helps to alleviate stress and anxiety. Depression, anxiety and stress have various triggers that are associated with underlying negative thinking patterns.
Often, physical ailments are linked with mental and emotional health issues, since the mind and body are both interconnected. Here’s how you can practice gratitude to increase your happiness and overall well-being.
1. Boosts positive emotions - Gratitude can actually create a ripple effect of joy. When we consciously start making an effort to appreciate something or speak positively about it even amidst adverse circumstances, it all stimulates positive emotions.
2. Reduces stress - The more one focuses on the positives of life, it slowly and gradually diminishes the negative emotions. People become happier, which helps in allaying all the negative emotions one might be going through.
3. Strengthens interpersonal relations - A simple gesture of appreciation towards someone, such as saying thank you, writing a note or doing something in return for someone’s help, makes the other person feel cherished. Relationships and social bonds deepen.
4. Improves sleep - Anyone with a relaxed mind is able to have enhanced sleep quality and patterns.
5. Grows resilience - The regular practice of gratitude helps people build resilience in all their setbacks. They are able to handle their ongoing problems better along with feeling positive and motivated to win.
Here are some ways in which you can start practising gratitude -
1. Maintain a gratitude journal - Start writing regularly. Maintain a journal wherein you write down everything, from the smallest to biggest things that you are grateful for. The lines should reflect thankfulness.
2. Don’t hesitation to show your appreciation - If you feel someone has done a good job, helped you in some way or was a great support, do not think twice before thanking them. Heartfelt thanks can work wonders and can motivate others to do better.
3. Meditate with gratitude - Whenever you sit in silence or meditate, think about the things you are grateful for in life. This brings a lot of calmness and peace.
4. Start acknowledging joy in small things - Innumerable little things can add joy to life. For example - your pet doesn’t care how bad your day was. All it needs is some cuddles! You can even just simply admire the beauty of a sunset, or notice tiny flowers blooming in your garden! These little things will accumulate to make your heart happier and more appreciative.
