“Being grateful does not mean that everything is necessarily good. It just means that you can accept it as a gift.”
— Roy T. Bennett
In the hamster wheel of daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of responsibilities, obligations and worries. We often focus on what we lack, what we need to achieve or what’s going wrong, inadvertently overlooking the abundance that surrounds us. Amidst the chaos, the practice of gratitude emerges as a beacon of light, guiding us towards a more fulfilling and joyful existence.
Gratitude is the simple yet profound act of acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of our lives. It’s about recognizing the good things, big and small, that we often take for granted. It’s about shifting our perspective from what’s lacking to what’s present, from what’s wrong to what’s right.
Benefits of gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful state of mind that can have a significant impact on our mental health. When we give thanks, we acknowledge the good things in our lives, even amidst the challenges. Here are some tangible benefits.
- Increased well-being: Gratitude has been shown to boost happiness levels, improve sleep, reduce stress and enhance overall well-being.
- Enhanced resilience: When we focus on the positive, we are better equipped to cope with challenges and setbacks. As monk-turned-entrepreneur Jay Shetty has said, “Being positive doesn’t mean you don’t ever have negative thoughts. It just means you don’t let those thoughts control your life.”
- Humility: In their book, “Finding Yourself in Chaos: Self-Discovery for Religious Leaders in a Time of Transition,” James Newby and Mark Minear write, “Gratitude is a practice that is equated with humility, for in expressing gratitude, we recognize that we are not alone in this life, and that we are reliant upon God and others for help and support in our daily living and our quest for meaning.”
- Improved relationships: Being more appreciative and understanding of the people around us strengthens our relationships with them. One recent study showed that gratitude can help improve social intelligence.
- Greater self-acceptance: When we have a mindset of gratefulness, we are more accepting of ourselves for who we are, flaws and all. Researchers Kris Homan and Lisa Hosack refer to this effect as “amplifying the good within.”
Cultivating gratitude
Incorporating thankfulness into our daily lives doesn’t require grand gestures or elaborate rituals. It’s about developing a mindset of appreciation, savoring the moments of joy and recognizing the beauty in the ordinary. Here are some simple ways to cultivate everyday gratitude.
- Keep a gratitude journal: Dedicate a few minutes each day to writing down what you’re thankful for and why. “Go for depth over breadth,” writes Jason Marsh in Greater Good Magazine. “Elaborating in detail about a particular thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.”
- Express appreciation to others: Let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. “Gratitude is also one of the greatest gifts we can give others,” notes the Tony Robbins Blog.
- Practice mindful moments: “Mindfulness simply means awareness. You intentionally pay attention to the present moment while putting aside your everyday tendencies,” notes an article on the Kaiser Permanente website. Throughout the day, take a few moments to pause and appreciate what’s happening right then.
- Foster an attitude of abundance: “One of the things that keeps us stuck in a scarcity mentality is that it’s so easy to think about what we don’t have, and so hard to remember all that we do,” writes Ingrid Fetell Lee on the Aesthetics of Joy website. “Focusing on gratitude helps tip the scales back in the other direction, focusing your attention on the abundance that already exists in your life.”
- Embrace imperfection: It’s OK to strive to be your best and to expect good things in life, but it’s also important to accept the inevitable challenges that arise. In her bestselling book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Brene Brown writes, “Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.”
Even small acts of gratitude can have a big impact on our mental health. By taking the time to appreciate the good things in our lives, we can cultivate greater happiness, resilience and well-being.
Featured image above: Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik