How Gratitude Changed My Life and How it Can Change Yours

⁣Every night before just before I close my eyes to go to sleep, I take 30 seconds to say my gratitudes.

No matter how tired I am, I force myself to curve my lips up into a smile and say how grateful I am for the amazing things in my life. I always start with my husband, my children and my whole family and then continue to maybe an event or an achievement or other things going on in my life.

This simple practice literally changed my life.

You see, I used to be a very negative person. My brother even called me Miss Criticalia!

My sister on the other hand was (and is) the brightest, most beautifully positive person I know. She would go to bed with a smile on her face, sleep with a smile on her face (yes, really!) and wake up smiling.

Of course I used to make fun of her. But then I realized that I wanted to be more like her. But how?

I am sooooo grateful that I learned about, well... being grateful! and once I applied this simple practice every day, my life took a 180.

When many of us think of gratitude, we associate it the act of simply saying “thank you” to someone for an act of kindness.

However, gratitude is more than just a reaction, or the feeling associated with feeling thankful for something. It is a powerful positive emotion, and a deeper appreciation of someone or something.

It helps you to focus on what you HAVE instead of what you don’t. This deeper relationship with gratitude, of course, has a longer lasting effect.

Gratitude is a state of mind that we create when we affirm good in our lives that come from inside or outside of ourselves and relish in big or small pleasures.

Practicing gratitude means developing an awareness that allows you to be grateful for everything in life like good health, a delicious meal, a child’s smile, the air that you breathe...

It is a deeper appreciation of life in all its moments. This includes negative experiences as well. Yes, really. Because by practicing gratitude, you become aware and grateful that there is always something to be learned. It can even help you focus on positive solutions instead of just the negative event.

The benefits of practicing gratitude are plentiful. Here are some of them:

Wellbeing
Expressing your gratitude can improve your overall sense of wellbeing by constantly promoting positivity.

Relationships
Gratitude strengthens interpersonal relationships by appreciating others more.

Optimism
A focus on gratitude can increase optimism by shifting your energy to more positive emotions.

Happiness
The pursuit of happiness is subjective, but the satisfaction that comes from practicing gratitude has a lasting positive ripple effect. Therefore, the more we practice gratitude, the more positive we feel, thus the happier we are with our lives.

So. how do you enter into this state of mind?

Start simply by saying your gratitudes every morning and every night. It takes only seconds.

So quick and easy and doable.

The best way is to handwrite your gratitudes in a designated gratitude journal. The act of writing on paper connects to your brain so you can feel it more intensely, resulting in a more permanent state of positivity.

To do this, get yourself a journal that is only going to be used for your gratitude journal. This is important because you want this journal to be filled with positive, happy experiences and emotions.

It is good to be able to express all of your emotions, so maybe have a secondary journal for all other expressions.

The purpose of the journal is to reflect on your day or week to pull out at least three things you feel grateful for.

Before you begin your journaling, it is best to feel sincere about what you are about to write, and try to focus your energies on both people and intangibles.

I have my journal in the bathroom so I don't forget! I write down 5 things that I'm grateful for every morning. It's such a great way to get your day started by appreciating what you have:).

Then, at night, I say them outloud to myself, but always with a smile on my face:).

I invite you to see for yourself the amazing benefits of a gratitude practice just as I have.

Besides highlighting the wonderful things you can be grateful for, this practice has been proven to increase sleep quality, decrease symptoms of sickness, and increase happiness and joy.

Enjoy the journey and please, make my day and email me back with some things you are grateful for!

jill@jillthehealthcoach.com


https://JilltheHealthCoach.com