Ever wondered how being grateful could change your life? Here a some benefits of gratitude for the spirit and mind, along with some easy-peasy ways to practice it!
A successful life is built on many factors, one of which is gratitude. You might not be consciously aware, but you have a lot of reasons to be grateful for; we all do!
There are so many blessings that we take granted for; health, family, friends, liberty, peace, and also the food we eat when we’re hungry, the water we drink when we’re parched, and the air that we breathe to stay alive.
What Is Gratitude?
The magical word “Gratitude” encapsulates a very deep positive emotion and relief in it. Just pause for a moment and feel how great it makes you feel when someone says Thank You to you, even for a very small favor.
Being thankful for every little thing that others do for us can enhance our overall sense of satisfaction and emotional stability. How powerful such a single word or gesture could be! According to studies, grateful people are more open and agreeable, and less anxious.
Read Attitude Of Gratitude: How The Universal Law of Gratitude Can Help You
Why Expressing Gratitude Matters?
Let us discuss the impact of Gratitude this Thanksgiving day 2023 on our minds and hearts.
A. Psychological Benefits Of Gratitude
In psychological research, the importance of gratitude is certainly and strongly associated with deriving great pleasure in living. Gratitude helps people with:
- building strong relationships
- improving health
- acknowledging delightful experiences in life
- preparing for adversities
According to a study held at the University of California in 2005, those who exhibited higher levels of gratitude were shown to have better quality sleep, more positive attitudes, and fewer symptoms of potential diseases.
Seemingly, when gratitude is taken into action it not only benefits others but also in return affects your life to thrive.
Another study brought about between couples shows that those who practiced gratitude in their life were able to smoothly run their relationship together.
Perhaps it includes conclusive discussion on apprehensions and having a deeper understanding of each other. Moreover, research on gratitude shows that it is linked with positive emotions, contentment, happiness, and hopefulness.
Read 16 Signs You Have a Sense of Entitlement
B. Spiritual Benefits Of Gratitude
I believe, being appreciative of our blessings to the higher power leads us toward happiness. Since happiness is one of the key factors of well-being. This is the primary importance of gratitude!
Apart from religious beliefs, every being who pays thanks to his/her Lord might be blessed in some way. However, all religious beliefs mention us to be grateful, for being able to receive divine blessings. Let us consider some verses from the various Holy books and understand religious gratitude.
In the Qur’an, it’s mentioned; God deliberately speaks to people of faith with such words: “If you are grateful I will give you more” (14:07). However, ‘more’ in this verse might indicate a better living style, healthiness, or prosperity in life. Withal, whatever it is or could be, it has to be meaningful for the livelihood of humans.
In Bhagwad Geeta, the holy book of the Hindus, it’s said, “Surrender exclusively unto him with your whole being. By his grace, you will attain perfect peace and the eternal abode” (BG 18.62). The two terms have been used in the verse above; ‘perfect peace and eternal abode’. Perfect peace could be taken as the personal satisfaction of one’s life and chores whereas eternal abode might be the lifetime continuation of peace and contentment.
A Christian view of gratitude is provoked in the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.” (Philippians 4:6-7).
As the former words point out, ‘God will guard your heart and mind’ might mean that by showing gratitude to God you will be saved from evil or any negativity. Because in reality what needs to be controlled is the human heart and mind and if so, one will surely have a quality life.
If you truly wish to stand as a successful person, start your way out to it by realizing the importance of gratitude.
Read 7 Laws of Gratitude That Will Change Your Life
The Best Ways To Practice Gratitude
1. Allow yourself to be grateful all the time
To make yourself habitual of being grateful to everyone who helps you in some way, you need to be aware of your thoughts consciously. Deliberately give thanks to people and feel thankful inside as well.
Kind-hearted people and those who have a positive view of life usually do not find it difficult to practice gratitude. However, if you find it challenging, you may look around at the people who are thankful to you or others. Sometimes, observation helps us to acquire what we want.
2. Acknowledge who you are grateful for
To know for whom, you are grateful, you may question yourself. Such as,
- What am I really grateful for?
- Who is the reason behind this behavior?
You may find it obvious that the list might have family, friends, or colleagues. Hence, here is the key that you need to pick in order to unlock the power of gratitude.
3. Keep a gratitude record
You need to find the reasons why you are grateful and to whom you are grateful. You might make a habit of writing down the blessings you are grateful for, every day. Try the following tips:
- You could keep a diary to write every day at least one reason to be grateful for.
- Write positive words like thanks/thank you/You made my day or even any good thing that happened to you.
- Paste them somewhere, where you can see them easily
- This message will signal you to be calm and help you manage your negative thoughts and let you be grateful to people and God.
Read 5 Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life
4. Exercises to reap the mental health benefits of gratitude
- One of the best-known exercises could be to thank someone or even yourself in your head.
- Thank yourself for an idea that comes into your mind.
- Sing a song replacing the lyrics with your own words saying thanks/thank you/I am so honored/gratefulness is awesome.
Read Signs Of Good Mental Health
If you want to know more about the benefits of gratitude, then check out this video below:
Now, as you know what is the importance of gratitude in our lives, practicing gratitude should become a part of your daily routine and should not remain just a holiday ritual. Share your thoughts on the importance of gratitude by commenting down below!
Happy Thanksgiving day!
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