People often say, “happiness is a choice.” You make the call on whether you want to focus on the bright side. Gratitude works the same way. Although it is expected to be a regular practice, the difference it makes grows when we make it a part of our daily life.
A little goes a long way when you choose to start living more positively. Small acts of gratitude affect you as an individual and send ripples towards your surroundings. The positive feelings brought by gratefulness connect you with more than just yourself. It could be with the people around you or even with nature. It lets you move forward in the present without worrying about the past and future while developing positive outlooks.
Why Gratitude?
Several positive emotions stem from being grateful. From simple acts of appreciation, we can perceive what is around us in a better light. And so, we focus more on the good things leading to the growth of a positive mindset.
The practice of gratitude is said to be associated with having more positive emotions daily. People associate good feelings with gratefulness when they experience them frequently. It results in the development of positivity, especially when faced with a difficult situation.
Applying it in our every day starts in simple ways. Feeling thankful and showing deep appreciation is one way to begin. You can do this by saying thank you every time someone does something for you, no matter how big or small.
Another is by starting a gratitude journal or reminding yourself of three things you are grateful for each day. Three Things Daily is a platform available online where you can engage in a community of expressing gratitude. It comes with a gratitude wall that aims to provide individuals a space to give and receive feelings of positivity, therefore, keeping the community moving forward with positive energy.
Understanding the Concept of Gratitude
Gratitude is defined as thankful appreciation. In psychology, it is associated with stronger feelings of happiness. Experiencing good emotions is much easier when you are grateful. It also improves our mindset, relationships, and perception of life.
When thinking about the question, “why is gratitude important?” The answer sinks in when you put your mind towards it. Spending your time focused on negative thoughts will emphasize the negative emotions you feel. But it’s the same with positivity.
If you focus on positive emotions, such as gratitude, you bring more joy to your life. Emphasizing good things will add more value to it because your brain spends more time thinking about them. The same thing happens when you practice gratitude daily since your mind will pay more attention to the act and the feelings that come with it.
How Gratitude Affects Your Everyday
Psychologist, Rick Hanson, talks about the changes gratitude brings to your life in his blog. Here, he explains how he started to practice it daily and how much his life has changed after, particularly in good ways.
Gratitude impacts every person in a different way. The practice comes with benefits that help us grow and improve who we are as an individual, such as the following:
It Improves Your Well-Being
What makes practicing gratitude worth the time is the improvement it makes to your well-being. Various studies show that gratitude improves well-being in two ways: directly and indirectly.
Gratitude becomes a bridge to help us recognize positive feelings by looking at the world through a different lens. In other situations, it also helps us overcome difficulties and negative emotions. Getting past a rough time shifts our emotions towards happier feelings. It affects our well-being both in psychological and physical ways.
The improvement in our well-being strengthens our emotional and mental health. As a result, it lets us face challenges more confidently.
It Strengthens Your Relationships
Our relationships are built with a stronger foundation when gratitude is present. A study identified how expressing gratitude in couples affects their relationship. The results show how the daily practice of gratitude made a positive impact on these relationships when the act is recognized by both parties.
The acknowledgment of gratitude from others or yourself affects your overall perception of good acts. Therefore, increasing positive emotions towards each other and keeping you more connected.
It Increases Empathy
When we are grateful for what we have, it gives a clearer picture of how good our life is. The idea makes us more empathetic towards other people, especially when they visibly have less than we do. These feelings teach us how to express our gratitude through sharing our blessings.
The more we realize we have lots to be grateful for, the less we constantly aim for what we do not have. We remain focused on what we have and, eventually, start to see how fortunate we are. Being more empathetic towards others lets us understand the joy there is in giving rather than only receiving.
Allows You to Relish Every Good Moment
Gratefulness allows us to value our time in the present. People tend to look beyond the future or bring the past with them. However, we only become truly grateful when we accept that the present time is the most valuable.
One example of a gratitude practice is to ask yourself what are three things you are grateful for every day. Doing this focuses your mind on where you are now and what you have in front of you. Therefore, letting you live every moment without any regrets.
The Bottomline
Our life goes through changes when we bring gratitude to the picture. Every time you ask yourself, why is gratitude important? Take some time to look around you and appreciate what is in front of you, or write down what you feel grateful for in the day.
The importance of gratitude lies beyond its definition. It brings us closer to happiness in the simplest ways, but the impact it makes is enough to maintain longer-lasting positivity. With each day you continue this practice, you will find yourself with a healthier positive perception of yourself and the life you live.
