Staying positive in today’s world is no easy task. Developing an attitude of gratitude in all aspects of your life, no matter how big or small, has BIG payoffs that will improve your overall well-being and help you live a more fulfilling life.
After enduring major trauma in her life as a young girl, Pam Christian experienced tremendous anxiety and reacted by acting out in a self-destructive way. In later years, Pam went through a divorce, became a single parent, and, more recently, suffered the loss of both her parents within a year of each other. Adversity is nothing new to Pam. Pam was able to turn her life around through a conscious shift in her mindset. Developing a gratitude practice was one of the many tools Pam used along her journey to healing.
Today, Pam is a Certified Mindset Coach, Motivational Speaker, and host of The Juice VLOG/Podcast. Pam has dedicated her life to helping others maximize their greatest potential by transforming their thinking to achieve personal and professional success. According to Pam, the foundation of transformation begins with several things, including gratitude.
Here are 10 beneficial reasons to incorporate gratitude practice into your life.
1.It Will Make You Happier
According to positive psychology research, studies show that a deep sense of gratitude can drastically increase your level of happiness! Who doesn’t want to experience more happiness? Regularly expressing gratitude has shown to be a mood elevator, an immune booster, and to reduce anxiety levels and ward off depression. Evidence indicates that grateful people are more resilient and have stronger relationships. Though it isn’t always easy to shift over to a gratitude mindset, sometimes faking it until you make it allows you to develop the tools to incorporate an attitude of gratitude! Get started today.
2.You Will Sleep Better
Believe it or not, gratitude practices have shown to improve sleep patterns. Grateful thinking and grateful moods contribute to a better night’s sleep. If you cultivate thoughts of gratitude throughout the day, you will shift your mindset to a more positive and abundant one and, in turn, you will go to sleep with more positive thoughts and fewer negative ones which will allow you to drift off to sleep more peacefully. These positive thoughts will allow you to fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake up refreshed! Before going to bed, practice coming up with at least 5 things you were grateful for during your day before and watch how your sleep and life in general improves!
3.You Will Be Healthier
Studies show that gratitude can have a dramatic effect on your health! Some of the health benefits associated with gratitude include decreased cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, stronger immune system, better cardiovascular health and fewer aches and pains. Developing a regular gratitude practice literally changes the molecular structure of the brain and keeps us healthier and happier. A simple shift in our daily mindset can help ward off health issues from developing. Keep yourself healthy the natural way by implementing a gratitude practice today.
4.It Will Increase Your Energy Levels
A gratitude practice will help you have more energy throughout the day. Simply by actively being grateful, keeping a journal or just thanking someone out loud has proven to increase productivity. Happy people are more productive than their disgruntled counterparts. Keep a positive mindset by noticing and being more aware of your thoughts and by showing gratitude. Do this consistently and watch your energy levels soar!
5.It Will Help You Cope With Crisis
Being grateful for the good things that have happened in your life when you are going through difficult times will help you cope with the situation no matter how bad it gets. With a positive mindset, remembering the bad will make you thankful for the good and help to keep things in perspective. Practicing gratitude can help a great deal in recovery from a traumatic event.
6.You Will Have Less Stress
Stress is your body’s response to changes in our lives. We will never be able to eliminate all of the stressors. However, we can learn to manage our response to them. It is impossible to have positive thoughts and experience stress at the same time; therefore, continuously monitoring what thoughts you allow in will help alleviate your stress levels. Consequently, a gratitude practice will help you manage traumatic or stressful moments more effectively. Gratitude can keep you from experiencing post-traumatic stress and depression.
7.Its Effect On Relationships
Being thankful enhances relationships. That goes for romantic relationships, relationships in the workplace, family, and friendships. People are attracted to positive people. Positivity makes one easier to get along with and talk to, even about personal things. Being thankful for the important people in your life will most likely be reciprocated. Mutual appreciation for each other often results in a more satisfying relationship. A manager who says thank you to his employees makes them feel appreciated and thus produce better work. Showing gratitude will improve your people skills and, as a result, you will have better and more fulfilling relationships.
8.It Reduces Depression And Anxiety
There is a proverb that says that gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. That’s very true. A gratitude practice reduces stress hormones and manages the autonomic nervous system functions. At the neurochemical level, feelings of gratitude produce an increase in the neural modulation of the prefrontal cortex, the brain site responsible for managing negative emotions like guilt, shame, and violence. Keeping a gratitude journal, simply feeling gratitude and expressing gratitude whenever and wherever you can wards off feelings of depression and anxiety and elevates your mood.
9.Physical Effects On Your Brain
Studies have shown that having a gratitude practice has positive physical effects on the human brain. When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotions and immediately make us feel good. This feeling gives us a natural high, motivating us to do good and express gratitude even more. Try it today!
10.Your Life Will Have a Purpose
Fortunately, a positive attitude can be cultivated, with a little practice. We all have the capacity to strengthen our mind’s natural ability towards optimism. Developing a gratitude practice can do just that and is one of the quickest routes to achieving a greater sense of emotional well-being, higher overall life satisfaction, and a greater sense of happiness in life.
Have a gratitude journal or practice verbalizing your gratitude every day of your life. Celebrate every small good thing that happens in your life and what you can achieve is limitless! Can’t wait to hear about your gratitude practice! Whether you are adding to your existing practice or starting from scratch, as long as you stay consistent and give it some time, I know you are going to love the impact it has on your life and the life of those around you!