Gratitude

Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. It is a recognition of value independent of monetary worth. Spontaneously generated from within, it is an affirmation of goodness and warmth. This social emotion strengthens relationships. Gratitude starts with noticing the goodness in life.

Following are a few tips to foster gratitude:

• Keep a journal or in some way note big and little joys of daily life.
• Write down three good things that have gone well for you and identify the cause.
• Write thank you notes to others.
• Think about people who have inspired you and what about them was most significant.
• Engage in mental abstraction. Imagine what your life would be like if some positive event had not occurred.

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” — Randy Rausch

Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day. Cultivating gratitude does not cost any money and it certainly does not take much time, but the benefits are enormous

Gratitude can have the following benefits:

• Gratitude opens the door to more relationships — Not only saying “thank you” constitutes good manners, but showing appreciation can help you when you are friends. Thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. So whether you thank a stranger for holding the door or you send a quick thank you note to that co-worker who helped you with a project, acknowledging other peoples contribution can lead to more opportunities.
• Gratitude improves physical health — Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and The report feeling healthier than other people. Not surprisingly, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular checkups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.
• Gratitude improves psychological health — Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment or to frustration and regret. Gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
• Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression — Grateful people are more likely to behave in a kind manner, even when others behave less kind. People who rank higher on the gratitude scale are less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experience more sensitivity and empathy towards other people and have decreased desires to seek revenge.
• Gratitude helps people sleep better — Writing gratitude journal improves sleep. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before going to bed, and you may sleep better and longer.
• Gratitude improves self-esteem — Gratitude increases self-esteem and self-confidence which is an essential component to optimal performance. Gratitude also reduces social comparisons. Rather than becoming resentful towards people who have more money or better jobs — which is a major factor in reduced self-esteem — grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.
• Gratitude increases mental strength — Gratitude not only reduces stress, but it plays a major role in overcoming trauma. All you have to be is thankful even during the worst times of your life.

We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Simply take a few moments to focus on all that you have rather than complaining about all the things you think you deserve. Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life.

What do you feel when someone thanks you for something? For a comment in a meeting, a task done at home, an extra step taken, a word of encouragement.

You probably feel seen, appreciated, that you matter to the other person. Maybe a little startled, maybe wondering if you really deserve it, but you are also glad.

Turning it around, when you say thank you to someone, it is a small moment with big ripples: a confirmation of a deep and wonderful truth, that we all depend on each other, that we all are connected in a web whose threads are innumerable acts of giving.

You can’t possibly say thank you to everything you are given. No one can. So, when you do say thanks, it is a token of our appreciation for the larger hole, joining you with that hole. It will make you happy to open to the giving coming your way each day.

And in giving thanks to the people in your life, you open the door to receiving their thanks in turn. In your home or company a nice circle, moving a step towards a culture of gratitude.