Practicing gratitude has been scientifically proven to improve sleep, give you more energy, reduce anxiety and depression, contribute to more forgiving attitudes, and greater social connectivity.
Gratitude changes your focus. We are used to focusing on problems, what doesn’t work and complaining. When you start practicing gratitude, over time you will get used to seeing the good things present in your life and consequently attracting more of them. Everything you focus on increases, so don’t waste time focusing on what’s not good for you.
Introducing the practice of gratitude into your life:
Your feeling of satisfaction with life increases
You have more energy and therefore more willingness to learn new things (which makes your brain create new synapses and expand your horizons)
You start to see the positive side of people instead of complaining about them all the time.
You start to feel happy for the achievements of others because you are able to value and appreciate your own achievements.
Choose one or more of the exercises below and adopt it as a daily practice in your life. You will be amazed at the results.
- Write down 3 or 7 things you are grateful for and why you are grateful for them. Do this every morning before starting your daily activities. Close your eyes, breathe and feel truly grateful for them. Do this for all of them, one at a time.
- Before going to sleep, be grateful for the best thing that happened to you during the day. When you start looking back on your day to choose the best thing, you will have the opportunity to notice many positive things that happened to you.
- If you want to improve your relationship with someone, close your eyes, imagine the person in question and think of the things you are grateful for. If you write it is even better. Do this daily and with deep sincerity.
- Think of people who helped change your life for the better (a teacher, boss, friend). Write the person’s name and reasons why you are grateful. Close your eyes and mentalize these people and thank them by saying the reason for your gratitude (one at a time, mentally or out loud).
- If you want to feel better about your work environment, progress or even change jobs, start by being grateful for your current job. Give thanks for the facilities where you work, for the clean bathroom, coffee, for the people, for the money you earn, for the bills you pay with your salary and for the things you can buy with it. Find as many reasons as you can to be grateful. Do this exercise every day on your way to work or at some point during your day.
Don’t worry if you still can’t feel deeply grateful. If you keep practicing it will become second nature to you. Gratitude is contagious and you will be positively impressed!
