Gratitude is a strong feeling that has a tremendous impact on people and their lives. In a world that seems to center on what is missing, practicing thankfulness can change how we relate to ourselves and the world and make us happier. The benefits of daily gratitude practice is a testimony in itself to contentment. Over the years, as a researcher, I have found evidences on the positive impact of practicing gratitude every day and it is highly inspiring. Research has established that those who give and receive thanks derive numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits.
Main Benefits of Daily Gratitude Practice
Let me help you understand the top benefits of daily gratitude practice into your life:
Improved Mental Health: Gratitude has been associated with mental health in several empirical studies. According to the study conducted in 2021 and published in the Journal of Happiness Studies identified gratitude intervention as effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms while improving life satisfaction compared to a control group.
This is because gratitude has been found to enhance positive effect, subjective well-being, and overall quality of life. If we think of what we are thankful for, our minds are more preoccupied with the positive and less on the negative. This can actually help change the overall disposition of a person which is an essential component of one’s mental health.
Enhanced Physical Health: First of all, as I have already mentioned, gratitude improves our mental health, but what is often ignored is the fact that it could also positively impact our physical condition. Studies have shown that grateful people are likely to be healthier as they have a way better health status such as their blood pressure is low and has a healthy immune system and they have a way better sleeping pattern.
Another specific research conducted showed a negative correlation between gratitude and heart disease [3] . This can be explained by the fact that gratitude lowers the stress level and evokes positive feelings, aspects that are tied to numerous changes on the physical level.
Stronger Relationships: Gratitude is a highly relational construct, and it can help enhance the relationships we have with people. Gratitude helps strengthen the relationship as people learn to understand and trust each other more deeply in a relationship which one of the benefits of daily gratitude practice.
Research conducted by Pettit, Joiner, and Knack in their study, Emotion (2014) established that couples who express gratitude to each other are likely to report increased feelings of closeness and commitment besides reporting high levels of satisfaction with the relationship. Speaking of people’s worth and contributions can help us foster richer and more meaningful relationships with others.
Increased Resilience: There are many obstacles and failures in life, but being grateful can serve as the basis for personal growth. Different studies have revealed that practicing gratitude helps people become more defensive against any challenges and hardships that life brings their way.
Especially at difficult times, when attempts to attain something positive are made, components of individual psychological resilience are formed. Another benefit of daily gratitude practice is that it reminds and empowers us to look forward to the good things in life and this is important if we are to make some sense of the twists and turns of life.
Improved Goal Achievement: Interestingly, even appreciation or thankfulness can be helpful when it comes to gaining efficiency and achieving objectives. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology research conducted in 2016, goal expressiveness was seen to increase the chances of achievement as compared to non-expressive gratitude.
When it comes to motivating oneself to reach goals, it is valuable to foster a sense of gratitude for the progress made or the assistance provided. Gratitude makes people aware of what they have but may not always use, which can motivate people to press on.
The benefits of daily gratitude practice are quite profound, and the empirical evidence is growing day by day. In fact, a large review of studies of gratitude in 2017 showed that practicing thankfulness is positively associated with myriad benefits to well-being, interpersonal relations, as well as health.
Positive ways of increasing gratitude
So, let us discuss what can be done to have benefits of daily gratitude practice as part of one’s daily routine? Let me tell you, it is a lot easier than most people perceive it to be. However, embracing gratitude does not imply the denial of existence and sufferings in life. It means deciding on the fact that one has to pay more attention to what is good rather than that which is bad. This, therefore, leads to more prosperity in your daily existence as a human being. So today, if you are struggling with living a life full of gratitude we’ve got you covered with some useful tips.
1. Find your why
First and foremost, know that you must exercise gratitude, so start by considering what your objective is. Perhaps, you want improved mental health, or perhaps you are on the search of having even better relationships with your friends or family members. There will always be something that you will be reasoning, and understanding why more gratitude has to be integrated into their lives will encourage them.
2. Introduce gratitude to your daily life gradually
If you are just beginning this practice, begin by finding one thing for which to be grateful each day. Of course, this list will only expand over time.
You don’t need big reasons to be thankful because, with a thankful heart, you can see reasons to be grateful everywhere you look. Rays of sunlight, a bite of your favorite flavor of ice cream, and a text from a friend are some of the things that may make one feel grateful. This way, your brain will just learn to start looking for them and thus, you will enhance your perception to spot those moments more often.
3. Use visual gratitude reminders
One of the effective methods to build up the practice of being grateful is gratitude signs. As we have alarms to wake us up, to remind us of certain appointments, in the same way, we have signs of gratitude to remind us to be grateful at a specific time of the day.
Some examples of the signs are a red traffic light, the sound of the door creaking, an airplane passing overhead, or children laughing. It does not matter what you decide to do. The idea, of course, is that each time you see that sign you pause for a moment and be thankful.
You can also design your grateful reminders. Include messages on sticky notes such as what made you happy today, or an instruction to mention one positive thing from that day. Put them in places where they will catch your attention easily; for instance on the mirror in the bathroom, on the fridge, or by the side of your bed. These notes will remind you of things to be grateful for in your day at different hours of the day.
4. Write down all the things you are thankful for !
Start a gratitude journal. Before going to bed at night, write down 3 things that you are grateful for in the day. They don’t have to be big — perhaps you spoke to the person next door, or you noticed a friendly dog during your walk. When you write down what you are thankful for then you promote positive emotions because your brain keeps going back to that piece of paper.
5. Generate feelings of gratitude by saying it out loud
Gratefulness may be as basic as saying ‘thank you. ‘Be grateful; if someone opens the door for you simply smile and tell him thanks. Even if a friend offers you a part of their snack, don’t forget to tell them thank you. Practice expressing gratitude openly. It not only cheers you up but can also potentially help put a smile on someone else’s face.
6. Practice mindfulness to create an attitude of gratitude
Staying focused in the present enables you to embrace the situation that you are in. Learn about the importance of mindfulness by focusing on an activity in an attempt to do a gratitude meditation.
7. Designate certain parts of the day for expressing thanks.
Spend a few minutes every day to set aside your work or studies and turn your mind to the positive aspects of your life. Treat it as a way to help your mental health. It can be in the morning when you wake up from bed or in the evening when you are about to sleep. Practicing it daily will help you develop the habit of being grateful.
8. Be kind to yourself
It is okay to have days where you cannot seem to find anything to be thankful for and that is alright. No one should expect oneself to be grateful every day for everything that they have received. Sometimes, it is not as easy as one might expect, and there will be days when one will not get the hang of it. However, developing a practice of gratitude in the home takes work, patience, and time. Be kind to yourself on some days especially when the going gets tough.
9. Use the following gratitude exercise whenever you feel that need to be more grateful:
Another practice you can engage in at any time in the day is to try to recall when you felt grateful before. It could be when you received an act of kindness or received success; when you saw your health, your home, or any talent or asset to yourself. It could have been a time that you had a party or were with a loved one. And it can be recent, or something that was experienced in childhood. Well, just think of any time you felt grateful let it be in the morning in the evening, or during the day.
I want you to visualize it and imagine as if you were having it right now.
- Imagine the scene that was described in the action as if it were a scene from a movie.
- Listen to the noises, particularly if you are out getting some fresh air.
- Sick any feelings that come
- Look at the faces of any people that are present.
Take a deep breath and embrace the moment of joy and pleasure vested in Gratitude. It is important to explain that one has to spend some time simply liking the way he or she feels. Just remember that you can always recall these feelings anytime you want even in the worst of days.
The critical thing to remember here is that successful training is a regular process. Including daily gratitude, even if it may just be for a few minutes a day. It can change an individual’s health and well-being. So why not give it a try? Take a moment, let go of control, and feel the amazing effects brought by this one simple word, gratitude.