First of all, what does practising gratitude mean? This could be something as small as complimenting your local cafe staff for always being so friendly when you go to grab your morning coffee, or maybe sending your partner or parents a text to remind them how much you appreciate them in your life. It’s all about focusing and acknowledging what you’re grateful for, whatever that may be. Being appreciative and more aware of everything around you makes you feel more present and alert in your life and surroundings.
A great way to get into practising gratitude is to start a gratitude journal. All you need to do is reflect on something you are grateful for every day. If you do this in the morning after waking up it will set a positive tone and intention for the rest of your day. Like I said, what you’re grateful for doesn’t need to be something major, it could be as simple as your morning cup of coffee. It’s the intention behind gratitude that has the impact as it forces you to consider all the positives in your life, which everyone has no matter how small.
There are some major mental health benefits to practising gratitude. It has been linked to lowering symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as helping with stress management. This is because you are in a more positive mindset and are therefore able to take on challenging tasks openly and confidently. You are also boosting your confidence by focusing on what you do well and what is going well for you.
Showing gratitude also improves the relationships with the people around you. If you are expressing how grateful you are for the ones you love and everything they do for you, then you are practising being more open with expressing your feelings. The people in your life will in turn feel grateful for your compliments and the happy cycle continues!
Having more positive thoughts before you go to sleep has been proven to improve sleep quality. Positive thoughts soothe the nervous system and decrease anxious feelings that may trigger adrenaline rushes that ruin sleep. Practising gratitude is a great little trick to incorporate in to your morning and night-time routines, and you’ll see heaps of improvement of your moods and relationships.