Although we may intend to be grateful for the simplest things in life, acting on that desire is not always easy. Scientific studies reveal a strong relationship between gratitude and happiness: being grateful can help reduce depression, improve general well-being and reduce stress . But how can we find gratitude when we don't feel in alignment with that state of mind?
Being grateful is a practice that requires discipline to choose to focus on the positive points of situations, releasing toxic emotions. To do this, you need to train your mind — this training can start with counting the things you are grateful for before falling asleep, with the aim of having a happier day when you wake up.
GRATITUDE IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT EMOTION .
Several medical studies have confirmed that an ongoing gratitude practice can help free the mind, eliminate anxiety, deepen and slow breathing, and relax muscle tension.
This emotion can lead us to a calm, centered state, where we allow ourselves to feel a deeper connection with our heart and inner wisdom. When we are grateful, we appreciate everything and everyone. And seeing the good side of things can only contribute to the good of our mental health. Gratitude is always the right emotion to embrace in any situation, as it puts us in a position where we can face our reality with more acceptance, love and peace.
GRATITUDE & RESILIENCE
Cultivating gratitude increases our resilience, helping the body learn to recover after an event that left us nervous and agitated. The positive mindset that gratitude develops helps prevent the downward spiral of negative self-sabotaging thoughts, offering us quiet moments of appreciation. This resilience is deepened and rooted daily, if we choose to be grateful for everything the Universe gives us.
DO A GRATITUDE MEDITATION
In some spiritual traditions, people begin their day with a song that expresses their deep gratitude for the blessings they have received in their lives: they show their gratitude to the divine, to their parents, to the Earth, or to any other energy that helps their lives. lives to prosper.
The benefits of gratitude meditation include a heightened sense of well-being, a lower incidence of depression, and improved sleep quality. There are several meditations of this type available on YouTube, some of which include binaural sounds (sound waves that trigger a slowdown in brain wave activity), which help to invoke an attitude of gratitude. You can also silently meditate on your Heart Chakra , reflecting on all the wonderful things in your life.
THANK YOU VERBALLY
In the modern world, saying “thank you” has become an automated process. This word gains much greater power when we focus on the present and reflect on the gratitude we feel when verbalizing it. The purpose of verbally thanking someone is to reward yourself and that person simultaneously. The positive effect of receiving gratitude/recognition is the same as showing it.
Offering written words that express your gratitude to those around you can also be very rewarding. Write them a thank you letter so they can cherish your feelings for them forever.
DEVELOP YOUR EMPATHY FOR OTHERS
When we stop clinging to our internal narratives about how things should have happened, there is a liberation that allows us to appreciate everything that surrounds us in its true beauty. The empathy we have for others can allow us to trigger a much deeper and more meaningful feeling of gratitude.
REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
If it's not easy for you to think of something that makes you feel grateful, try putting yourself in the shoes of a person who is going through more complicated and challenging situations than yours. This change of perspective will automatically inspire gratitude for the conditions that life has given you that allow you to lead an easier day to day life.
Know how to thank the world and life, but above all yourself. Gratitude doesn’t always have to be focused on what other people have done for you. Make sure you exude feelings of gratitude towards yourself for the healthy habits you have cultivated in your own life. Have this attitude daily and make it a conscious habit. After all, big changes can come from small gestures.
