Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. How easy do you find it to tap into gratitude? The power of a daily gratitude practice can expand your capacity to feel happiness and joy, improve your overall life satisfaction, our health, sleep, and mental strength. The benefits of Gratitude:
- Improves the quality of your relationship, fulfills our need for connection and love, promotes conflict resolution
- Instant mood booster - feeling appreciation boosts
- Gratitude increases mental strength
- Improves sleep
- Improves your physical health - Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people,
- Blocks toxic emotions
- Has lasting positive effects on the brain
- Gratitude improves psychological health: Gratitude reduces negative emotions, from jealousy and anger and frustration and regret. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
Gratitude practices to try:
- Start the day with bringing to mind 3 things you're grateful for, place your hands on your heart and feel the feelings of gratitude
- Express your gratitude to another person
- Write a gratitude letter once a week telling someone all the things you're grateful for
- End the day - Write down 3 things you're grateful for each day. (Feel the feelings)
- Notice the simple pleasures in life - The sun on your skin, a hot cup of coffee, a great sleep, seeing butterflies or beauty in nature, a child's laugh
Mentioned research studies by Heart Math Institute
https://www.heartmath.org/
