Do you practice gratitude?
Maybe yes. Maybe no.
Probably after reading this, you will either start or expand your gratitude journey.
Let’s dive in and first satisfy all you logical-minded people.
What happens to the body when you practice gratitude?
As per research conducted by the Gratitude expert- Robert Emmons, a person practicing gratitude experiences 10% more sleep and a 10-15% reduction in heightened systolic BP. Moreover, on experimenting with 6th and 7th graders, the team witnessed an unexpected improvement in grade point average after 3 weeks of gratitude journaling.
Gratitude affecting kids? Not expected, right?
“My research partnership with Michael McCullough at the University of Miami has led to several important findings about gratitude. We’ve discovered scientific proof that when people regularly work on cultivating gratitude, they experience a variety of measurable benefits: psychological, physical, and social.”- Robert Emmons
However, these measurable benefits are a result of a few biological changes in our body.
- Gratitude triggers the ‘good’ hormones and regulates the effective functioning of the immune system. When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.
- Scientists have suggested that by activating the reward center of the brain, gratitude exchange alters the way we see the world and ourselves. It impacts the prefrontal cortex, which enhances our critical thinking.
- The parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for ‘rest and digest’ functions, helps conserve energy by slowing the heart rate, stimulating digestion, and promoting overall relaxation. And soothing the nervous system can be one way by which gratitude works to calm our body.
“Physiological changes associated with gratitude are typically a reduction in blood pressure and increase in vagal tone, which is taken as an index of increased parasympathetic influence on the peripheral nervous system,” says Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Science Director at the Greater Good Science Center.
Now that we satisfied the logical thinkers that gratitude is not just a spiritual journey and has a lot to do with changing the molecular structure of the brain, let’s understand some core benefits proven by research.
How does gratitude change and benefit us?
We human beings search for different mechanisms to stay happy. Here’s research conducted by Sonja Lyubomirsky that reports that a change in gratitude practice can change the level of happiness. The surprising fact is that people who practiced for 1 week were happier than people who practiced it for 3 weeks.
One theory could be that you saturate your practice and exhaust the list of blessings after a certain time. But that still wouldn’t stop me from practicing it daily(that’s a discussion for later).
Fig 1: Changes in Gratitude in 3 weeks. Image Source
Fig 2: Change in Gratitude brings change in happiness. Image Source
The reason I discussed this report was to give a kick-start to the discussion that Gratitude has a direct relation with our happiness. But there’s more to gratitude than meets the eye.
Benefits of practicing Gratitude-
- Sleep Better
I experienced sleeping better when counting all the positive things and small milestones I achieved on that particular day.
Just not me but several people claim to sleep better and longer when they count their blessings before going to bed.
- Mental Well-being
Whether you realize it or not, you are going to experience contentment in life, more positive emotions, high self-esteem, and life satisfaction when you start believing in gratitude. And this will ultimately result in your mental well-being.
Good Read: How to Stay Motivated When You Can’t Find a Solution?
- Compassionate and Kind
One important transformation gratitude brings in your life is to make you feel abundant. The feeling of abundance automatically induces the “Fill and Give” attitude.
There’s a high possibility you’d want to give more to the world(around you) when you feel content and abundant. And paying back kindness generates more gratitude in return. Try it!
Gratitude serves as a key link between receiving and giving: It moves recipients to share and increase the very good they have received.- Robert Emmons
- See the Bigger Picture
Let’s imagine, you have a manager at work, who micromanages and annoys you for every task. But you are continuously learning and being challenged to do better. This improvement trajectory that spiraled because of your annoying boss will ultimately help you grab a better opportunity in the future. And that’s when you see the bigger picture of tolerating your boss.
Gratitude does this to you. It helps you visualize the bigger picture in a situation. Whatever you feel is challenging or creating a roadblock may turn out to be the opposite of it.
Good Read: How to find purpose in life?
- Don’t Take Anything for Granted
As humans, we are accustomed to taking things for granted when we achieve it, whether it is a materialistic thing, a relationship, or a new job. Which we all realize after some point was wrong. However, by the time we realize it, we have lost it or we are on the verge of losing it.
Hence, practicing the art of being thankful for everything you have today makes you grounded and doesn’t let you take your achievements or relationships for granted.
- Improves Relationships
Relationships are the most critical aspect of our lives. Sometimes our mundane routine doesn’t let the excitement stay and grow. This is not just with romantic relations, but also true for friends, family, and colleagues.
While not all relations are permanent and here to stay, some relations are integral to your life and you must protect them. Gratitude does a wonderful job of feeling grateful for your relations.
It helps you maintain existing bonds and mysteriously creates new ones too.
Gratitude definitely has a big role to play in romantic relations. The more you are grateful for that person and their small contributions to your life, the stronger the relationship will be. These gentle reminders of your partner’s good side will help take your relationship to greater heights and form beautiful memories.
- Healthier Lifestyle
Now this one is my favorite and I am a living example of this transformation.
When I started recovering from my illness, I started thanking the universe and the divine powers for each progress I made. The more I felt grateful for my healthy body, the more I wanted to maintain my health. This started a domino effect. Now I am so connected to my healthy body that I can’t let go of my routine unless my body demands rest.
“We have found that getting people to express gratitude could help them work toward healthier eating behaviors, like more fruits and vegetables and less junk food,” says Lisa Walsh, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California.
A Magical Experience
There is one spiritual and beautiful benefit of cultivating thankfulness–finding help and guidance in the most mysterious ways. I have witnessed it happen in my life. When I am thankful that there’s a solution to a problem and it will appear on its own, I often have found the solution surfacing in the most mysterious ways–I either receive help or get guidance from a stranger I never expected. Have you experienced this?
How do you start counting your blessings?
Let me be honest, there are plenty of articles online that teach you how to exercise gratitude.
So, I decided to share only what I have personally experienced and practiced.
Gratitude Journaling
A simple way to practice gratitude starts with maintaining a personal gratitude journal. It could be a simple notebook where you pen down all the areas in your life that you are grateful for.
It is proven and I have experienced that being specific in your practice helps you attract more abundance in that area.
Here are some examples of what I penned down:
- I am grateful I am surrounded by my family.
- I am grateful for a smart, loving, and understanding life partner.
- I am grateful for being invited to today’s get-together where I can spend time with my friends.
- I am grateful for receiving help with repairing the air conditioner yesterday.
- I am grateful my friends who offered to drop me off at the airport.
- I am grateful for my current job, the salary, the perks, and the learning environment.
I generally start my day with gratitude and prayer. I practice this every day as part of my morning routine, right after my meditation. Most days my prayers sound the same but I’m completely okay with it as it helps me appreciate the little and smaller things in life.
Saying thanks keeps me grounded and doesn’t let me take things like Food, Water, and Shelter for granted.
I use a simple notebook and it suffices my requirement. You can invest in better journals. Here are some Amazon recommendations:
- 5 Minute Gratitude Journal
- Lauret Blanc Gratitude and Affirmation Journal with Weekly and Monthly Review
- The Gratitude Journal
Right Before you Sleep
There are plenty of things you can choose to do just before you fall asleep. You can watch a movie, scroll Instagram feed, read today’s news headlines, and do plenty of similar tasks that drain your eyes and brain.
I am a big advocate of reading books and counting at least 5 good things that happened that day. Both make you sleep like a baby.
When I first started practicing thankfulness at night, I prayed for all the good things that happened to me that day. For example, getting to eat my favorite dish, exercising 10 minutes extra, meeting my childhood friend, etc. And I intentionally did it in a lying position with my eyes closed.
I discovered that by the time I was on my 3rd or 4th prayer, I used to fall asleep. This helped me fix my sleeping problems and created a more positive mindset.
Gentle Reminders
While you are going through the day, you often tend to lose sight of the blessings in your life. You get consumed in your day’s chaos and mind’s chatter, completely ignoring the positive side of life.
Even though I practice gratitude in the morning and at night, I keep gentle reminders in my life.
I was inspired by Rhonda Byrne’s The Magic. She suggested keeping a rock close to your bed or desk that says Gratitude.
I went one step ahead and also got myself inked. Every time I look in the mirror(specially while brushing my teeth) I am reminded of staying grounded, humble, and grateful for this moment.
The Magic By Rhonda Byrne
This book helped me deal with some specific matters in my life by following certain technical gratitude methods. The author(also known for her work “The Secret”) has done a impeccable job in breaking down life’s different areas of challenges. She offers different sets of gratitude exercises for overcoming different types of problems.
I’d recommend following her methods when you are going through a tough phase in life. On other days, it is best to keep it simple and journal your big and small achievements.
Bonus Tip: Try to notice one new thing you’re grateful for every day. This will break the monotony and help you stay consistent.
Did you know, it has been argued that males, in particular, may resist experiencing and expressing gratefulness in so much as it implies dependency and indebtedness? – Robert Emmons
There will always be people practicing and not practicing this universal art of counting your blessings. You too might choose gratitude when there’s nothing else working in your life. But once you begin( and start seeing results), trust me, you are bound to be glued to the practice and will never let go.
So today, just say one prayer in front of your God about something you are grateful for, it could even be running into this article that inspired you.
Grateful for these Sources:
https://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-gratitude
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude/definition#why-practice-gratitude