Gratefulness is a familiar feeling to most of us. It’s an emotion we tend to experience when we feel good about our day. But while it’s prevalent to us, we usually fail to express it properly.
A major point in developing a grateful life is knowing the best way to express it, whether for yourself or those around you. Expressing gratitude in the best way will bring results quickly. In deciding how you should practice it, keep in mind that you should be comfortable with it and stay consistent throughout.
But it is also crucial to know how being grateful can affect you. To start, read through this post to understand how gratitude can benefit you.
The Pros of Practicing Gratitude
Cultivating gratitude as a part of your every day comes with several benefits. It affects both your physical and mental well-being. From studies to personal accounts, gratefulness proves to be commonly associated with happier emotions. The increase of positive feelings then makes an impact on wellness by further improving it.
Here are some of the benefits of having an attitude of gratitude:
Stronger Relationships
When we learn to express gratefulness, it builds the relationships we have with the people around us. The impact gratitude makes on us spreads to our surroundings, affecting even those who interact with us. With consistently expressing gratitude for those we love and care for, it increases positivity within the relationship. As a result, the bond improves significantly.
Expressing gratitude is also one way to connect with others better. Communication is valuable in keeping a healthy relationship. The strength of your bond with other people depends on how you get your thoughts across. If the expression is positive, such as with gratefulness, so will be the foundation of the relationship.
Overall Harmony and Happiness
Gratitude makes an impact even within ourselves. It promotes happier feelings, thus, allowing us to feel harmony and inner peace. As individuals, we dictate what we should feel. In choosing to encourage gratefulness, we are also giving ourselves room for improvement.
Positive thinking is the main benefit you can get from cultivating gratitude because it brings with it even more. Being grateful allows you to look at the world through a different lens. In doing so, we find ourselves more accepting of both good and bad sides. We become less fixated on minor inconveniences and look at the bigger picture instead. Through that, we can feel more at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.
Healthier Habits
In connection to a healthier mindset and communication, most people who practice gratitude find that their physical habits also improve. Usually, it involves a lifestyle change wherein individuals better their physiological well-being. These changes commonly include sleeping and waking at the appropriate times, eating proper and balanced meals, spending more time productively, and sometimes even exercising more often.
Negative energy can cause us to lose interest and motivation to continue certain routines. Being grateful increases positivity within us and so creates an opposite effect. Although gratitude does not necessarily make us healthier, the positive impact leads to a change in motivation levels. Rather than feeling discouraged, we find ourselves looking forward to the day more.
How to Express Gratefulness
You can express gratitude in various ways. While there are many ways to communicate it, some of these practices can yield effective long-term results. Consider doing the following listed below:
Remind yourself of daily blessing.
There is always going to be something to be thankful for every day. Keeping reminded of these blessings will help you appreciate what is around you more, no matter how big or small they may be. Most gratitude practices focus on this aspect mainly because of the effects that come with it. Remembering that each day comes with a blessing allows you to spend it knowing it is a good day.
A popular way to practice this is by listing three things that you are grateful for today. There are platforms available that make it easier to keep track, such as Three Things Daily. The application features a gratitude wall where you can post your list and look through other posts made by the community.
Gratitude through actions.
When we receive, we tend to think we should return the favor. However, there are instances when this may lead to negative thinking. Instead of seeing the acts as favors, it is best to view them as gifts. We should avoid burdening ourselves with reciprocating the efforts given to us by others, but rather, we should focus on giving back to show our thanks. Sticking to this mindset will help you learn to reciprocate with positive feelings instead of due to responsibility.
Words of thanks and appreciation.
People tend to overlook the power of words. Expressing appreciation towards the people around you is one of the best ways to show gratitude. It makes an impact on both you and the people receiving the thanks. Through this form of expression, you pass on the positive energy to others. Similarly, being open about how grateful you are for today can cause people to feel the same. And so, when directing that gratitude to a specific individual, the positivity it brings increases.
Understand the value of balance through acceptance.
Another great way to express gratitude is through learning to acknowledge both the good and bad times. Being grateful makes it easier to become happier because there is balance within yourself. Gratefulness involves accepting that some days will be good while others will be less, but it will not necessarily mean a bad day.
There will be times when things do not work out as planned. Instead of letting the negative energy consume you, acceptance will allow you to remember what is good. It takes the negative energy and switches it into something positive rather than completely disregarding it.
Final Words
Expressing gratitude leads to an increase in positive emotions. There are a lot of methods you can express gratitude. Consistent practice will allow you to develop a grateful attitude, therefore, improving your well-being in several ways. While some may bring longer-lasting effects, finding the best expression for you is the best way to exercise consistency.
