The Many Benefits of Gratitude

The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been a mainstream concept for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, and a sense of well-being. Some of the tangible benefits of practicing gratitude include:

• faster recovery from surgery

• feeling happier

• reduces symptoms of depression

• improved sleep

• increased resilience

• improved ability to manifest positive things into your life (aka improved “vibes”)

• more energy

• improved health

• reduced pain

• stronger immune system

• lower blood pressure

• improved digestions

• decrease in stress levels by activating your body’s relaxation response

• lengthens life span

• improved ability to empathize with others

• bolsters communication and connection to others (increased harmony in relationships

• improved decision-making capacity

• increased creativity and productivity

Despite the numerous benefits of being grateful, it can be difficult to feel grateful, much less sustain an attitude of gratitude, especially when life circumstances feel less than gratifying or harmonious. Our unconscious minds are trained to notice what is broken, incomplete, and what seems lacking in our lives.

Nobody is perfect. We’re human. That’s why this is called “practicing” to retrain our minds to focus upon gratitude. It’s something we re-commit to each and every day. If we lose sight of gratitude, we can always circle around and have another go at it tomorrow (or in 5 minutes).

For gratitude to yield its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just an affirmation, or something we feel during the month of November. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, develop new thought, self-talk, and behavior habits.

It’s important to acknowledge that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Yes, pain and injustice do exist in the world. Yet, when we focus on the gift of simply being alive, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

There are many things to be grateful for. Here are some of mine: colorful autumn leaves and crisp fall air, hearing birds sing when it’s cold and dreary outside, eyes that see and ears that hear, the gifts of wisdom that accompany aging, living close to fantastic hiking trails, rainy days, warm sunshine on my skin, fresh clean drinking water, friends who love me unconditionally, dark chocolate in all its yummy varieties, warm jackets and a heated home, the softness of my pillow under my head at night, the ability to learn and grow and redefine myself at will, roses, butterflies and hummingbirds, solitude. What’s on your list?

If you’re new to the practice of Gratitude, here are some easy suggestions to incorporate Gratitude into your daily practice:

•Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way. I like to start my day by thinking of 5 things I’m grateful for when I first wake up, and end my day with 5 things I’m grateful for as I go to sleep at night.

•  Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures of things / objects / people / situations that you’re grateful for.

•  If you have family or housemates who eat together, practice gratitude around the dinner table. If you’re single, spend a few moments communing with your heart and body, with gratitude for the day you’ve experienced and the meal you’re about to partake of, nourishing the cells of your body with vitality, life force, and love.

•  Challenge yourself to find hidden blessing in challenging situations. *This is one of my all-time favorites because it often shifts my perspective from feeling like a victim, to feeling like I’m mastering a Soul / Life Lesson.* It helps me uncover countless blessings in situations that would otherwise seem gloomy, devastating, or downright shitty.
For example, when I’m stuck in traffic I send a silent “thank you,” knowing that I might have been diverted from a terrible accident and sitting in traffic perhaps saved my life. A job loss might be the blessing in disguise which makes you available for an impromptu trip to visit a friend for solace, and you end up meeting the love of your life. Yes, it’s challenging to look for gratitude in the dark nooks and crannies of our lives, but certainly makes life’s challenging more adventurous!

•  When you feel like complaining, flip the script and make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.

•  Notice how gratitude impacts your life. What changes are occurring as a result of your shift in perspective? How do people respond to you? What has the practice of gratitude magnetized into your life?

As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.

I would love to hear from you about your gratitude practice. How has it changed your perspective? What practices have you found useful?

Namasté

Grace

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