Dear friends, with thanksgiving behind us, it’s easy to fall right back into our routine, and not think about the things we may feel grateful for until the next year. However, the “gratitude practice” has received significant amount of positive attention in recent years. Practicing gratitude on regular basis has been shown to improve feelings of wellbeing, combat anxiety, improve optimism. An easy gratitude exercise to try would be to list 3 things in your day that you feel grateful for. Make it a daily routine before you go to sleep and watch the benefits grow. What can you expect to experience? Well – here are some benefits:

Beat Negativity Bias
Our brains are build for identifying and solving problems. As a result, we often find ourselves focusing on the bad (things that need to be fixed. Focusing on the good instead helps us break free from all the negativity. A study showed that less negativity leads to a better mental health than more negativity.

You would feel happier
Being thankful for something that happened or just everything in your life can take your mind off things that were bothering or stressing you, making you feel happier. If you see the good things you have in your life, it can be as small as a book, you begin to pay more attention to how good your life is rather than how bad it is. Through research, it has been shown that showing gratitude reduces envy and makes people more resilient.

You can improve your self-esteem
When you show gratitude you are more likely to be more satisfied with your life which means that you like where you are in life. Then it leads you to feel better about yourself and your life.

You can make more friends
A person who is grateful shows more positivity than a person who is not grateful. This is because a person who grateful shows that they appreciate things and it makes them seem more open and friendly. Also if someone is thankful for what they have or do they are happier with their life. This would attract more people rather than a person who doesn’t feel grateful.

Your relationships can improve
When a person feels grateful it is usually toward something they have or someone in their life, which is why it will positively affect a person’s relationship. If you are thankful for someone whether it is a friend or family member, you will most likely show it to them making them feel happy.

You feel more generous
It is proven from research that most people who donate money to organizations are grateful people. When you feel good about yourself or your life, you are more likely to give to others than if you felt bad about yourself.

You can become physically healthier
When someone is grateful they have a purpose in life and motivation. This usually has an effect on how they take care of themselves. People who are grateful tend to take care of themselves more by exercising more or eating healthier.

You sleep better
You sleep better when you feel grateful because you don’t feel stress or anxious about something. Instead, you feel more peaceful and happy. When you feel calm it helps you sleep and relax more.

You can become more motivated
If you feel grateful it is easier to find motivation in life because you are thankful for your life. This may affect how motivated you are to do your work or simple tasks. You find more meaning in jobs that you try to do your best in them.

Sources:
Title: The Benefits of Gratitude: 28 Questions Answered Thanks to Gratitude Research
Author: Courtney Ackerman
Date: April 12, 2017
Link: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/

Title: How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
Author: Joel Wong + Joshua Brown
Date: June 6, 2017
Link: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

Title: 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude
Author: Amy Morin
Date: April 3, 2015
Link:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude