An attitude of gratitude can help you get more happiness, better
health, deeper relationships, and increased productivity from your life. Gratitude is taking
time to think about all the positive aspects of your life rather
than the negative ones. Having an attitude of gratitude doesn’t cost any money.
It doesn’t take much time. The
benefits of gratitude are enormous. Gratitude touches on many
aspects of our lives. This includes our emotions, personality, social dynamics,
career success, and health.
A grateful heart is a contented heart. A contented heart
is a simple heart. A simple heart leads to a simplified life. Gratitude opens
the door to simplicity. A person who is grateful for the things they own
will care for them, enjoy them, and waste less energy seeking more. They will
experience fulfillment in the things they already possess rather than looking
outside themselves for more. Those who can find gratitude in their current
existence will be less influenced by life’s empty promises. Gratitude is the magic medicine that you no one bottle. Practicing
gratitude has many benefits that will help you:
Gratitude
can help you experience fewer aches and pains-You too, can experience fewer aches
and pains by practicing gratitude. Researchers found that an adult
writing in a gratitude journal (even once a week) was helpful. The participants
experienced: Improved optimism, better sleep, improved exercise patterns, lower
levels of anxiety and depression, and reductions in physical ailments for fewer
aches and pains.
In another study, spouses kept a journal of the
changes they saw in their ailing partners. Those who practiced gratitude had
fewer aches and an improved outlook, just after two weeks. Even their partners
could notice the difference without knowing what they were writing in
their journals each day.
Gratitude
can help you manage your stress more effectively-Appreciating what you already have,
instead of focusing on what you don’t have, will create a dramatic shift in
your energy and how you manage your stress. Stress is a major drain on your
energy. Appreciating where you are and what you have, is the greatest step on
personal development, to help you meet your goals, and recognize your
potential.
By practicing gratitude for people, things, and the
environment around you, you allow your body’s natural responses to stress, to
do its magic. Shifting your perspective from ‘what’s wrong’ to ‘what’s going
right’ leads you to look for reasons to be grateful. Dopamine creates
feelings of satisfaction, pleasure and reward, which motivates you to repeat a
specific ‘good feeling’ behavior.
Gratitude
will help you have more energy-You will have more energy by
practicing gratitude and appreciation. Everyone knows a restful sleep leads to
more productivity and a better outlook. However, dopamine, also affects your
energy level. Adding gratitude into your life by simply actively being
grateful, keeping a journal, or thanking someone out loud, you can increase
your productivity. Happy people are more productive. Researchers at the Wharton
School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university
fundraisers into two groups.
One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations
in the same way they always had. The control group were assigned to work on a
different day. They received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who
told the fund-raisers that she was grateful for their efforts. During the
following week, the university employees who heard the director of annual
giving message of gratitude, made 50% more fundraising calls than those who did
not. Gratitude
increases your productivity and energy.
Gratitude
will help you sleep better-Focusing on the positive, shifts
your body from the fight or flight state (hormones released by hypothalamus),
to more relaxed state. This response can come from thinking you are in
danger when you’ve only forgotten to take out the garbage. Practicing
appreciation increases the dopamine levels, while decreasing adrenaline and
cortisol (the Stress hormones) allowing for a longer, and more relaxed
sleep. There is a direct correlation between dopamine and gratitude.
Hypothalamus is also responsible for secreting three
good feeling hormones: Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphins. Practicing
gratitude, can keep you healthier and happier, increase exercise
patterns and frequency, improve sleep, decrease depression, and result in fewer
aches and pains. You can enjoy these benefits, by simply focusing on the
positive interactions you had at work, helping your family on a project at home,
or thinking about something relaxing.
Gratitude
will improve your focus and attention-Practicing gratitude is
related to 23 percent lower levels of stress hormones (cortisol), and an
increase of dopamine levels. Thinking about cuddly animals and sunsets will
enhance feelings of abundance in life and satisfaction to increase.
A study in 2013
looked at young adults who practiced writing daily gratitude journals found
these young adults experienced increased determination, improved focus and
attention, improved enthusiasm, and had more energy. This study demonstrated
that junior high school students who report higher levels of gratitude, also
report higher academic achievement. Grateful students get better grades. I am
sure if it is helpful to teenagers, adults can benefit from gratitude and appreciation.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion
of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown
in acts.” (Henri Frederic Amiel)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“31 Benefits of Gratitude: The
Ultimate Science-Backed Guide” by Happier Human
·
“5
things you didn’t know about Gratitude that you can start today to enjoy your
life more” by RecognizeYourPotential.com
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