Accountable2You » Resources » Personal Accountability » How to Enjoy the Benefits of Gratitude
Have you ever thought some people naturally seem to have a more thankful personality? That may be true, but gratitude is also a skill that you can develop. Cultivating a habit of thankfulness can improve your quality of life with the many benefits of gratitude.
Gratitude is a response to things that make you happy. This can include good feelings that result from favorable circumstances or from a good thing someone has done.
There are many benefits that gratitude can bring you. Here are three ways being thankful can improve your life:
Grateful people tend to be more likable and attract other positive people. You tend to make more friends and enhance existing relationships by increasing your sensitivity to and awareness of others. Showing appreciation helps you build empathy with others and deepens communication.
Grateful people tend to be more likable and attract other positive people.
You are more likely to accept help and criticism because you interact with others based on trust and respect. Operating from the overflow of a grateful heart makes you more inclined to help others. Thankfulness also reduces tension and aggression and promotes kindness instead.
Gratitude can improve your overall health. Various studies have found that thankful people get to sleep faster and have longer and better sleep. They also have fewer illnesses and recover more quickly from the few they do have. Gratitude reduces stress, motivates you to exercise, and increases your energy level throughout the day.
Gratitude is a response to things that make you happy. So, you can increase your happiness by being more thankful. Look on the bright side of things—even disappointment and adversity. You can find pleasure by being more observant of the positive things happening around you. You can celebrate others’ accomplishments because you do not view them as threats to your happiness.
Being thankful builds your contentment in the present and your hope for the future.
Being thankful builds your contentment in the present and your hope for the future. You can have a better sense of purpose and peace as you practice a positive outlook and put your appreciation into words and actions. Heighten your joy by cultivating a grateful heart.
Claim these benefits for yourself by growing in gratitude. It’s an easy process that starts inside you and then influences your words and actions. Here is how to get started:
Gratitude flows from a positive mindset that looks on the bright side of things and emphasizes positive elements. Life has its ups and downs, but a thankful person can find something to be grateful for in almost anything.
Grateful people tend to step back and see the bigger picture behind individual events. As the saying goes, “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.” Look for and savor the good things in life.
Humble people tend to be thankful people. When you humble yourself, you demand less of others and forsake a sense of entitlement. You are in a better position to receive gifts as freely given, unearned, and undeserved. Humility empowers your gratitude by focusing less on yourself—your needs, wants, and expectations—and more on the good that others do.
Humility empowers your gratitude by focusing less on yourself.
When your perspective is less on yourself and more on others, you become aware of the good things that other people do. You can recognize the value and meaning in beneficial circumstances or actions done by others. Being thankful can be a choice to notice and think about good things, whether big or small.
Count your blessings when you wake up and when you go to sleep. You could also keep a gratitude journal to record things you are thankful for each day. Reflecting in this way can prompt spontaneous, positive emotion and magnify your pleasure in the benefit.
When you are thankful, put your good feelings into words and share them with those who contributed to your happiness. Acknowledge regularly and specifically the good things that others have done. Think of what you would like to hear from others.
Look for creative ways to express your appreciation!
You could send thank-you cards and even gifts like flowers or candies to demonstrate your gratitude. When you read an article or an online post, consider commenting on how you benefited from the content. When you are delighted at a restaurant, leave a generous tip, and give your compliments to the chef. Look for creative ways to express your appreciation!
Thankfully, you can cultivate a thankful heart and reap the many benefits of gratitude. Sure, you could focus on daily irritations and frustrations, but how would that serve you and bless others? Emphasize and draw attention to the positive things around you.
Since you like to be thankful, what can you do for others to help them feel thankful? Turn your gratitude into acts of kindness to others. After all, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Be generous and pay it forward.