What is Gratitude?

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It also means the readiness to show appreciation for kindness and to be willing to return kindness. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness for what you have and not always wanting more. When you are grateful, you acknowledge the goodness in your life and feel positive emotions, enjoy and relish good experiences, and continue to build strong relationships.

How does grateful feel? It is a feeling of being thankful and appreciative. An example would be how you feel when a friend does something exceptionally nice for you.

How Do We Practice Gratitude?

1. Notice good things in life, look for them and always appreciate them.
2. Savor and pay attention to all these good things in your life.
3. Express your gratitude to others and to yourself. Thank someone.

In the Bible, it says “Give thanks to all circumstances; for this is the will of God”. When you regularly practice gratitude, you take time to notice and reflect on things you are thankful for and, overall, you will experience positive emotions. This can lead to more sleep, feeling more alive with more compassion and kindness. Gratitude also enhances your immune systems.

People are more successful when they practice gratitude. They reach their goals and make 20% more progress than those who do not practice gratitude.

Practice Gratitude Daily

Take time each day to practice gratitude and you will definitely see a significant increase in your happiness and your overall physical health. Daily practice improves sleep, boosts immunity and may decrease the risk of disease. It is hard to practice gratitude and we have to work hard to cultivate this daily practice.

Here are some ways to practice gratitude daily:

            . meditate on things you are grateful to have in your life. Practice mindfulness on step at a time and a little more each day.

            . think about what you are grateful for as soon as you wake up (someone or something)

            . reflect on people or things you are thankful for at work when you are done for the day. Sometimes thinking of someone after a long day is all you need for a boost.

            . keep a list of what you are grateful for handy (and update it often) to look at throughout your day.

Gratitude Can Change Your Life

Gratitude changes your life because it makes you reflect and appreciate what you have in your life rather than what you don’t have. It can change your life by being a very powerful source of inspiration that you can tap into. Just pay attention to the simple beauty in everyday life and what we often take for granted. More people are feeling grateful after living through this pandemic and fearing tomorrow. It helps us to reflect and appreciate all that we have. In these times, it is even more important to reflect on how grateful we are.

Show Gratitude to Someone Who Helps You

How can you show gratitude to someone who helps you? There are many ways to do this. Just a few ideas:

            . a card or handwritten note expressing your gratitude

            . a hug

            . a compliment

            . perform a random act of kindness

            . provide encouragement when they need it

. a quick text to say you are thinking of someone.

Make a List of What You are Grateful For

Think about what you are grateful for in your life and make a list. It can include:

            . your parents

            . your family

            . your best friend

            . your teachers

            . your colleagues

Next to each item on your grateful list state reasons why you are grateful for them. For example, I am grateful for my parents because they gave me life and raised me with love and support.

Does Gratitude Relieve Stress?

Being grateful for what you have in your life can immediately enhance your mood and give you happiness in the inside. This can help strengthen and create a positive nature within ourselves which can combat stress. If you have positive thoughts before you go to sleep, you will sleep better.

Express Gratitude Daily

There are ways to express gratitude daily:

1. Write in a journal that you keep with you and only use to express gratitude.

( I purchased a premade journal that I find useful)

Gratitude is an emotion that can make you feel happier. It can lead to better moods and make you more grateful every day of your life. It is not easy to always be grateful but if we try practicing this, we will lead a better, more fulfilling life. Practicing being grateful and using mindfulness to achieve this will make you have a more fulfilled life.

Tell me some ways that you have expressed gratitude. I look forward to your comments.