Practice Gratitude Daily!

For most people, gratitude is often only expressed after experiencing a momentous occasion, such as receiving a promotion at work or getting married to the love of your life.

But gratitude doesn’t need to be reserved only for momentous occasions. You can also be thankful for something as simple as a delicious piece of pie.

And, fortunately for us, this feeling of gratitude can do a lot for you.

In the book “Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,”  psychologist Robert Emmons shows that people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time out of their day to notice and reflect upon the things they’re thankful for have scientifically been proven to experience a nearly endless list of benefits and advantages.

According to many studies, practicing gratitude has been shown to improve your physical health, develop a stronger immune system, reduce symptoms of depression, increase one’s well-being and happiness, enhance empathy, improve quality of sleep, enhance self-esteem, increase mental strength, and help you experience more positive emotions such as joy in your life. (and improve your business as well! Sara Ohara).

So, the question we should all be asking ourselves is, how can we practice gratitude so that we can experience all these benefits as well?

Well, there are nearly infinite ways to show our gratitude, but one of the most popular and proven gratitude exercise available is journaling.

Journaling is probably the easiest gratitude exercise available because it’s the most simple. All it requires is a pen and paper.

Here’s how it works: Every morning, think back on the day before, and try to write down 3 things you were especially grateful for that day.

It can be something as little as a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop, or as grand as the love of your significant other.

But keep in mind as you’re doing this exercise that the best way to reap the benefits of gratitude is to notice new and fresh things that you’re grateful for every day.

While you might always be thankful for your great family, just writing “I’m grateful for my family” day after day doesn’t keep your brain on alert for fresh grateful moments.

Get specific by writing “Today my significant other gave me a shoulder massage because she knew I was really stressed” or “My sister invited me over for dinner so I didn’t have to cook after a long day.”

By doing this, you’ll start to train your mind to focus less on the bad things that happened in your day and more on all the good things that happened to you.

This will start to slowly change the way you perceive situations by adjusting what you focus on a daily basis.

So, try it out. Do this exercise every day. Over time, you will start to see the profound effects gratitude will have on your well-being and your outlook on life.

Thanks for your Wisdom Vincent Carlos