Really, what good is gratitude? It’s the mindset of appreciating things in life. Numerous studies have shown, and continue to show, that an attitude of gratitude enhances mental health, wellbeing, and general life satisfaction. Yet sometimes it seems hard to believe. Is being grateful that powerful? And, more bluntly, what is it about feeling grateful, something that can seem superficial, that has a positive impact on our lives? What good is gratitude?
A sense of gratefulness is a way of viewing both your inner and outer worlds as well as living your life. Here’s an at-a-glance look at what gratitude is as well as what it is not:
What Good is Gratitude? The Benefits of Feeling Grateful
With intentional practice, by deliberately pausing to appreciate something about others in our life, our circumstances, a part of our day, beauty around us, and aspects of ourselves, we begin to naturally shift our perspective. Rather than getting bogged down by what is wrong, we start to look more at what’s right. The transformation brings positive life changes. We find that we
- can better cope with stress
- Might have anxiety or depression but can find reasons to move forward anyway
- Feel lighter, more joyful
- Have more empathy
- Are more determined
- Feel excitement in things
- Are more hopeful
Gratitude works. It does us good because it involves a shift in thinking and in being. Instead of focusing only on problems and challenges, we also look for good things on purpose, and we take it a step deeper by being glad, grateful, for the presence of these things.
Home Your Strength of Gratitude
Feeling grateful doesn’t always come naturally. Especially when we’re struggling with challenges like anxiety, depression, or other difficulties, the mind gets stuck in automatic negative thoughts. It’s hard to be grateful sometimes. Gratitude isn’t just an attitude, however. It’s a skill that can be developed. These activities can help you home your inner, grateful strength:
- Journaling
- Reflecting quietly while coloring in a gratitude coloring book
- Set the alarm on your phone, watch, or fitness band to vibrate hourly to remind you to pause and find something for which to be grateful
- Keep a gratitude jar in a prominent spot so you can write something for which you’re grateful and put it in the jar
- Play I’m Glad Bingo (click the link for a downloadable game board)
Feeling grateful for the good in your life isn’t a cure-all to make problems disappear. Instead, gratitude is a way of being in life that is positive-oriented rather than negative-oriented. Gratitude is a component of wellbeing and a life worth living.
Cultivate gratitude with the Morning Magic 5-Minute Journal!
