Did you know research states that individuals who understand why is gratitude important are more composed than their peers, who are not used to being grateful?
Interesting, right!
Well, gratitude helps us overcome our sense of lack and makes us feel more connected to the larger good, allowing us to be cheerful and work towards our dreams with a calm and happy mind. What if I say that you can imbibe gratitude in your life just like others and reap the benefits of this deep positive emotion.
Unlock the secrets today to creating more power with this minimalist guide and know why is gratitude important in life!
This guide will support you in becoming more aware of your level of gratitude by teaching you how to identify gratitude in your everyday life. It will also help you learn how to express your appreciation to others and how it can significantly impact your health, relationships, and life.
Before I walk you through the different aspects of the importance of it, let me acquaint you with the definition of gratitude.
What is gratitude?
Gratitude is interpreted as the quality of being grateful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It is more than just a “thank you” to someone for his kind act towards you or who got something special for you on special occasions.
It is one of the many forms of deep positive emotions that we have towards something or someone, which serves a larger purpose on our positive existence.
Positive psychology claims that researchers can measure the effects of gratitude on the human mind and body, which can be backed up by scientific evidence.
The Harvard Medical School states that:
“The word gratitude comes from the Latin word gratia. Depending on the context, it means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. It is an appreciation for all that one receives. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. By acknowledging the goodness in their lives, expressing gratitude often helps people recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. This can connect them to something larger—other people, nature, or a higher power”. [Source: Harvard Health Publishing]
Research shows that expressing gratitude has a tremendous impact on our physical and mental health.
Let us find out:
Why is gratitude important for mental health?
Being embedded with a natural feeling of appreciation and acknowledging the good things in life will tend to elevate your mood, reduce stress, decrease anxiety levels and promote your sense of well-being.
Grateful individuals are more open to realizing the positive things in their lives, even in times of utter distress. As a result, there are great possibilities that you will not succumb to negative emotions and feel a lot happier compared to your peers who are not used to being grateful.
The strong link between the body and mind hints at how and why is gratitude important for mental health and physical health. The feeling of thankfulness will instill in you a feel-good factor that will promote your holistic well-being.
What is the purpose of practicing gratitude?
Breaking News!
Gratitude is a trait and can be a state of our existence. As a result, it can be cultivated by anyone open and eager to change his life.
It is something that you can learn to do with a deep sense of appreciativeness and awareness. It is like a habit that you can get better at. If you practice being grateful in your daily life, you can get better at it. You can get to the extent where it becomes second nature to you. You can get so good at it that it becomes part of your character. When it becomes part of your character, you are grateful all the time.
Gratitude works as a positive glue for building and strengthening social relations, relationships at work, etc., thus giving various ways to amend and solve differences, if any.
Simply being thankful and appreciative that we have still got a handful of good things even when most of it seems to go against the tide gives us an extra reason to feel joyful and motivate ourselves for the day.
So, if you were still wondering what is the purpose of practicing gratitude, think no more. Through a simple practice of writing a gratitude journal, you can start how to cultivate gratitude.
How to write a gratitude journal?
Now. that you are sure of why is gratitude important, how about knowing how to cultivate gratitude through one of the most effective ways.
Yes! You guessed it, right?
It is through journaling. You can do it on your diary, a notebook, your phone, laptop, or on an app. Remind yourself that you need to do it for yourself; pick up a specific time of the day, and stick to it until it turns into a daily affair.
Start small with a tiny list of things for which you are thankful. You might end up creating a long list of such. Even when circumstances are not going the way you want, you know you still have a few purposes or ideas to look forward to when you contemplate enough. Maybe that’s a close friend, your favorite coffee, or your mentor, your job, your pet, or your family.
Writing a gratitude account can be an excellent method to connect and become aware of your thoughts and emotions. Once you start noting down the good things you still have, you feed your mind with positive stuff, leading to a chain of optimistic thoughts.
If you do this often enough, you will gravitate towards positive thoughts and feelings and away from negative ones. Over time, this will lead to a happier and more peaceful you!
Gratitude turns what we have into pure gold!
Ah! Not in the figurative sense of the term, but yes, a life filled with pure satisfaction is nothing less than that.
We all crave happiness, and at the end of the day, the things we do are all because we want to be happy. Gratitude turns what we have into 10x when we know how to be content with the present times and simultaneously keep building a new tomorrow with a cheerful frame of mind.
If you are aware of what are you grateful for today, you might never be filled with sadness or anxiety, at the least. You will be able to see what you possess, which many others might not be having; it turns your sense of lack into an acceptance and that these disturbing times are not forever and gives you a vision for the future.
What the Bible says about gratitude?
Very evidently, most of the spiritual and religious communities, including Christianity, have based a part of their teachings on gratitude as being thankful to God or a higher power and one of the basics to leading a graceful life. What the Bible says about gratitude is we should be grateful to the Lord in all circumstances, for this is “His will for us”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say thank you meaningfully?
Whenever you say thank you to someone, make sure you mean it and not expressing just for the sake of it. When the words of gratefulness come from within, the other person can see that you wanted to say thank you meaningfully.
A thank you note with a customized thank you message might do the job well.
How do you appreciate someone in words?
A greeting postcard, a text message, or an email with a tailored thank you note – say it however you feel comfortable appreciating someone in words.
Be specific, be genuine, tell them what you like about them, how did their act or gift help you, send a return gift if that’s how you like it, in addition to your messages.
How to teach kids to be grateful?
If you want to know how to teach kids to be grateful, be that example yourself.
Tell them how and why is gratitude important, what is the purpose of practicing gratitude, and how it has helped you.
A ritual might help; say journaling or a thank you prayer before your mealtime with family. Teach them how to; the kids would gradually get used to it and slowly understand its benefits.
Conclusion
Don’t push yourself to feel grateful all the time.
Although this may be true for most people, some experience a negative feedback loop when expressing gratitude. These people may feel obligated to keep expressing their appreciation (even if it’s to themselves!) for fear of being ungrateful.
To help avoid this problem, record your appreciation for people and things you genuinely appreciate, and not for everything that is done or said, good or bad!
Be Grateful, Be Happy!