Become More Appreciative
01/25/2020
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals - whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Regardless of the inherent or current level of someone's gratitude, it's a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.
Gratitude, or appreciation for the good things that happen in life, is an essential part of building happiness. When you're going through a tough time it can be hard to remember to be grateful for the good stuff, but there are a stack of benefits that can be gained from working gratitude into your everyday life. Find out more about ways to increase your gratitude and your awareness of things you can be grateful for.
The benefits of gratitude it's an instant mood booster and feels great in the moment you're likely to feel closer to friends and family you're likely to enjoy your life more it's good for your physical health it's easier to cope with tough times good things in life don't stick in our heads as easily as bad events.How to practise gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal. Take five minutes each day or once a week to think of and write down three things that have happened to you since the previous day or week that you're glad you experienced.Take pictures. Set yourself a mission to photograph little things in your everyday life that make you smile.Tell someone you're grateful to have them in your life. Whether it's someone you look up to, or someone who just makes you happy, take the time to tell them you're glad they're around.Increasing your gratitude is useful because:
This last point is really important. We tend to remember when bad things happen, and the time we spend thinking about them makes us unhappy. But, if we make an effort to increase how often we experience gratitude, it can balance out some of the negative stuff.
That doesn't mean that you should ignore/forget your problems, or that the things wrong with your life are unimportant. It just means that good memories will also stick in your mind, so you get to enjoy them for longer.
Experiencing more gratitude is easy and doesn't take much time. Try these ideas and see what works best for you:
You don't have to think up a whole bunch of really significant things in order to be grateful. You can be grateful for the smallest things, such as the sunshine, your morning coffee, or the fact that you made it to your train on time.
Gratitude, or appreciation for the good things that happen in life, is an essential part of building happiness. When you're going through a tough time it can be hard to remember to be grateful for the good stuff, but there are a stack of benefits that can be gained from working gratitude into your everyday life. Find out more about ways to increase your gratitude and your awareness of things you can be grateful for.
The benefits of gratitude it's an instant mood booster and feels great in the moment you're likely to feel closer to friends and family you're likely to enjoy your life more it's good for your physical health it's easier to cope with tough times good things in life don't stick in our heads as easily as bad events.How to practise gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal. Take five minutes each day or once a week to think of and write down three things that have happened to you since the previous day or week that you're glad you experienced.Take pictures. Set yourself a mission to photograph little things in your everyday life that make you smile.Tell someone you're grateful to have them in your life. Whether it's someone you look up to, or someone who just makes you happy, take the time to tell them you're glad they're around.Increasing your gratitude is useful because:This last point is really important. We tend to remember when bad things happen, and the time we spend thinking about them makes us unhappy. But, if we make an effort to increase how often we experience gratitude, it can balance out some of the negative stuff.
That doesn't mean that you should ignore/forget your problems, or that the things wrong with your life are unimportant. It just means that good memories will also stick in your mind, so you get to enjoy them for longer.
Experiencing more gratitude is easy and doesn't take much time. Try these ideas and see what works best for you:
You don't have to think up a whole bunch of really significant things in order to be grateful. You can be grateful for the smallest things, such as the sunshine, your morning coffee, or the fact that you made it to your train on time.
If you can dedicate just five minutes of your day to deliberate cultivation of appreciation, you can dramatically improve your overall mindset.
Keep a notepad for this exercise and list five things you appreciate about your day. You can include anything that makes you feel happy or grateful to be alive.
For example, you might note a wonderful conversation you had with a family member, something beautiful you noticed in the natural world or a success you enjoyed at work.
You may be surprised by how powerful this simple activity can be; it can transform a bad mood into a calm, optimistic one.