on Gratitude.
It doesn’t need to be Thanksgiving for us to feel thankful.
Gratitude is one of the most useful tools we have access to everyday.
Gratitude cultivates optimism; it allows you to lead with empathy & avoid aggressive (unintentional) behaviors. Gratitude enhances your mental strength & self-esteem by a positive feedback loop signaling your brain to repeat this thankful behavior throughout the day. Gratitude improves psychological health by reducing harmful emotions (like resentment, envy or frustration) & according to research, effectively increases happiness and reduces symptoms of depression.
simply put: being grateful creates a sense of happiness.
& who doesn’t want to feel happy?! In positive psychology research done at Harvard Medical School it was found that “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
We all feel & express gratitude in different ways.
The past: We retrieve positive memories & are thankful for elements of past experiences or childhood.
The present: By considering each day as a gift & not taking good fate for granted
The future: By maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.
📣 Today, let’s take a moment to appreciate all that we have - rather than grumble about the things we deserve.
Here are some ways you can exercise your gratitude today:
Write a thoughtful thank you text to a friend
Mentally thank someone
Donate a meal to someone in need
Write about something you are grateful for
Start a gratitude journal (post on this coming soon!)
Add a mindfulness practice to your day.
Say “thank you” & mean it.
Please share with your friends & comment ways that you like to express gratitude!