Why Practicing Gratitude Is Helpful

We often hear about practicing gratitude, but today I want to share why it benefits you and ways to really make it a powerful tool in your life. Fortunately, expressing and feeling gratitude is a choice that can be exercised at any time. In fact, daily expression of these sentiments is critical to being happier and ultimately getting what you want in life. At a minimum, expressing gratitude fortifies your emotional well-being by transforming your energy and reinforcing positive expectations. So, you can feel good at any moment with this technique.

It’s also important to remember that our emotions influence our behavior. So, feeling good, more energized and positive leads to taking action that aligns with your deepest desires and usually yields the best life results. If practicing gratitude reinforces feeling more joyful throughout your day for mini-moments in your life, you don’t have to wait to attain a certain outcome (e.g., get the job, find the partner, or buy the house) to be happier. Yet, because you’re feeling happier, you’re more likely to behave in a way that will get you the outcomes you desire AND more naturally and organically.

How Practicing Gratitude Works

A study by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) revealed that people who focus on what they are grateful for are both emotionally and physically healthier. In fact, your brain actually notices patterns to more easily process all of the input it receives. So, if you keep thinking about what you’re lacking, you’ll keep noticing what you don’t have, and you’ll keep thinking you’re not getting what you want.

If you shift your thoughts to focus on what you do have and what makes you happy, your brain will continue to notice the abundance in your life, leaving you feeling grateful and ultimately happier. Recently, studies show that just thinking about what you’re grateful for activates the reward center in your brain. So, you don’t even have to come up with something tangible to improve your mood although it’s a lot more fun to do so:-)

Four Ways to Really Feel More Grateful

Again, we know that practicing gratitude can benefit us, but there are ways to really experience the positive aspects of feeling grateful even when you’re not feeling especially appreciative. To help shift your mind-set and energy, try using these techniques:

1. Say Three Things
   • Say three things you’re grateful for in your life every day. Pick the same time of day to do so, whether at dinner with your family and friends, at night before bed, or first thing in the morning. The consistency will help create a habit around practicing gratitude. After it’s become a habit, you’ll find yourself being more grateful throughout your day spontaneously.
2. Thank Yourself
   • Identify one thing about yourself for which you are grateful every day. Take time to acknowledge who you are being and how your qualities are helping you have the life you want. We often are grateful for other people and situations in our lives. Taking time to appreciate yourself will reinforce your sense of self-love and self-worth.
3. Focus on Fun Times
   • Think about a situation you’re struggling with and identify what you’re grateful for in that situation. For example, if you’re stressed about family relationships and nothing comes to mind, relax and look at fun pictures of them (e.g., from a vacation or a celebration). Notice how your attitude softens toward them.
4. Anchor Feelings in Your Body
   • Feel the feeling of gratitude and associated positive feelings (such as warmth, confidence, or joy) in your body when you’re considering what you’re appreciative of in your life. This helps to integrate the benefits of gratitude further in to your subconscious mind and body.

Focusing on what you appreciate about your life and yourself can give you a whole new perspective. With this new perspective, ask yourself: “What else is possible?” With a healthier sense of emotional well-being, you’ll experience happier feelings. The bonus is you’ll be even more motivated to put effort toward your goals. And, according to The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life, when you’re feeling happier, you’ll be more present, creative, and have access to better solutions for your life. These qualities are more likely to lead you to the outcomes you desire or even better. So, what are you grateful for today?