Powerful Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life
You have more to be grateful for than you know.
We have lost so much due to the pandemic and it almost feels like an insult telling someone to be grateful. What comes to mind is, what should we be grateful for? Is it for our loved ones who have succumbed to the deadly virus? Is it for the many businesses that have had to close down? Or is it for the financial difficulty we have found ourselves in?
It is easy to look at the things that are going wrong in our lives. However, if you are reading this then you are alive, most probably have your eyesight, maybe you are not in a hospital, you are clothed, and you did not sleep hungry today.
Do you see where I am going with this? There are also so many things going right in our lives and gratitude is all about being thankful for every little thing and seeing the abundance we have and not lack.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie
Let’s delve into the powerful ways that gratitude can change your life. Hopefully, this will give you solid reasons to be thankful.
1. Gratitude improves your physical well-being
Researchers have conducted several studies to explore the link between gratitude and physical well-being.
A study conducted on 119 women showed that the participants experienced lower blood pressure and better sleep after keeping a gratitude journal for two weeks.
Michael McCollough and Robert Emmons are psychologists who conducted an experiment on how being thankful affects one’s well-being. They had three sets of participants who kept daily diaries. One group wrote about the things that happened during the day. The second group focused on the unpleasant events that took place and the third group noted the things that they were thankful for each day.
At the end of the study, the psychologists discovered that the individuals that focused on gratitude were more optimistic, had high energy levels, were more alert, and less depressed compared to the rest of the groups.
If you want to improve your general well-being and quality of life, be grateful.
It is as simple as that.
2. Gratitude enables you to achieve your goals
We will always experience positive and negative outcomes in life. Being thankful shifts your focus from the unpleasant to the joyful things. It helps you to see the good in every situation. Therefore, when you encounter obstacles, you won’t dwell on them and allow them to put you down. Instead, you’ll see what you can use from the situation to keep pushing towards your goal.
Additionally, you’ll be radiating lots of positive energy which will give you the drive to go after what you want.
If you look at the results of the study mentioned in the first point (high alertness, determination, and energy), these are the tools that can help you to pursue your dreams. And you can acquire them by being grateful.
3. Gratitude strengthens your resilience
Wouldn’t you want to have the ability to bounce back from difficult situations in life? You can cultivate this resilience by being thankful.
A study carried out on Vietnam war veterans indicated that those who practiced gratitude exhibited lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Resilience does not spare you from life’s hardships. Instead, it gives you the strength to bounce back faster.
4. Gratitude makes you happier
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey
The common statement you’ll hear from everyone who practices gratitude is that it has made them happier.
Happiness doesn’t start when you get that job, lose weight, or get the perfect spouse, it starts when you appreciate what you currently have.
Think about this. If you sleep better, feel more energized, less stressed, have more focus, achieve your goals, and feel like your life is filled with abundance, why wouldn’t you be happy?
Being thankful is responsible for the shift in your mindset and your improved quality of life.
Conclusion
Just like any new habit, gratitude takes time to develop. You can start by writing down all that you are thankful for each day. With time, it will become second nature and you will love your life more because you’ll find joy in the simplest of things and will not take anything for granted. Do you want to be happier, more resilient, and have a better quality of life? Get started on your gratitude journey TODAY!
