Gratitude practices are tremendously beneficial to our mental heath and well being, but are often misunderstood or thought to be the same thing as positive thinking.

There are certainly benefits to thinking positively and getting rid of negative self-talk, but practicing gratitude is more than that.

Practicing gratitude has benefits for both individuals and groups. It has many daily benefits that you can experience and enjoy. When it’s done from a spiritual state of mind, practicing gratitude can help you to feel closer in your relationship with God.

So, if you’re feeling “stuck,” lonely, or you’re just worried about things not being perfect, you can focus on being grateful and the benefits you’ll receive from that practice.

Why Gratitude Works

There has been so much research on gratitude and how adopting an “attitude of gratitude” can benefit people in recent years. Gratitude is shown to be immensely effective for these reasons. 

• It shifts your attention from negative to positive
• You feel more satisfied when you express it
• It trains your brain to experience more gratitude
• You’ll notice that it continues to grow over time

It’s important to keep in mind that gratitude is often referred to as a practice. Sometimes, you’ll really have to work at being grateful for things, and it won’t always be easy. But, if you find yourself working hard toward it now, you’ll also notice that it will get easier over time. When you make gratitude a priority, your whole thought process will shift. Remember, that’s more than just positive thinking, it’s a change in the way you see things.

Benefits of Being Grateful

So, what can gratitude do for you? There are mental, emotional, and physical benefits to practicing gratitude each day. Some of the most common rewards you can reap include: 

• Improvement in your mood
• Less likely to focus on material possessions
• More energy
• Better overall physical health
• More restful sleep
• A higher level of resiliency
• More patience with everyday annoyances

The list doesn’t end there. You’re bound to experience benefits that feel very personal to you, which will make you crave that attitude of gratitude even more. It might sound silly to say that practicing gratitude can make you happier, but that’s actually at the top of many researcher’s lists, too!

The best part? That doesn’t mean you just have to think happy thoughts and everything “bad” goes away. It means you can take the negative aspects of your life and continue to find the silver linings, and be grateful for all experiences.

How Can I Be More Grateful? 

It’s not always easy to feel grateful, especially when things aren’t exactly going to plan. But, there are things you can do each day to put gratefulness into practice and start to experience some of the benefits listed above. Use these tips to start practicing gratitude: 

• Keep a journal with you to write down things you’re grateful for as they happen
• Say three things out loud that you’re grateful for each day
• Reach out to someone each day to tell them you’re grateful for their presence in your life
• Think about things you’re thankful for when you’re feeling sad or angry
• Be mindful of the good moments in your life
• Focus on others, not yourself

If you’re able to do these things, you can eventually change your perspective. As a result, gratitude will become more natural for you.

If you’re struggling with feeling grateful or practicing gratitude daily, you’re not alone. Feel free to contact me if you need help with your daily gratitude walk. Together, we can talk about more of the benefits and that shift in perspective that you can experience when you commit to more than just positive thinking.

If you would like help in developing or implementing any of these ideas, please reach out to me.