We often overlook simple practices. We underestimate the potential benefits such simple everyday practices can bring in the long run, such as practicing gratitude.
Let’s be honest, when was the last time you were thankful for something? For example, having a roof over your head? For having food every day? Perhaps, long back or you can’t even recall when was the last time.
But you are not alone. We all at some point forget what we have, and become more focused on what we want to have or don’t have.
We all get lost in chasing our dreams and desires, busy in achieving them so much that we simply forget to be thankful for what we have at present.
I honestly confess that I was complaining about a lot of things lately until one morning I woke to an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 and at that time, I just wished for me and my family to be alive. Thankfully, we all are safe. (Read about the earthquake here)
I have been so thankful in life until 5th May 2021. The massive realization was that I was complaining about so many things but only had I just stopped and looked around to appreciate what I already have.
The moment the earthquake stopped, I saw my family well, I saw my home well. I needed nothing more. And I looked around, I appreciated every little thing I have.
But sometimes later I again started to feel like before and less appreciative of what I have and worried about what I don’t. But one thing different about this time was, I was quick to remind myself why I should be grateful for what I have.
I am dedicatedly working on it to build the habit of practicing gratitude every day and if you could relate with it then these convincingly compelling rewards of practicing gratitude will help you maintain your consistency with the practicing.
Gratitude And Well-being
According to a study published on Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, practicing gratitude has the potential to enhance long-term well-being. Our well-being has a lot to do with how well we are going in our day-to-day life. So, taking care of our overall well-being should definitely be a top priority and one of the things that we can do to take care of well-being is to practice gratitude regularly.
Gratitude And Mental Health
Does practicing gratitude benefit those struggling with mental health concerns?
According to research published in Greater Good Magazine, which solely focused on 300 adults struggling with mental health concerns in general struggling with depression and anxiety. Along with the continuation of the counseling services for all of them, they were divided into three groups. The first group was asked to write a letter of gratitude, the second group was asked to write about negative experiences and the third group wasn’t assigned any writing activity.
The study found that the first group of people who were assigned to write a letter of gratitude reported better mental health in comparison to the second group of people who were asked to write about their negative experiences and the third group of people who just received the counseling.
Gratitude And Physical Health
Practicing gratitude can be beneficial for our physical health too. It can do a lot more good to our physical health than you might have thought of. An article published in Critical Nurse Care suggests that practicing gratitude can improve our physical health from improving our sleep quality to immunity.
A good night’s sleep is a must to perform our best in our day-to-day life, and a strong immunity works like a shield against illness. So, yes, practicing gratitude can help us achieve both and physically build us stronger.
Gratitude And Hard Time
If there’s a time when it is most hardest to be grateful is undoubtedly during the tough times. And that is totally understandable, but however tough it seems and feels, practicing gratitude can actually be helpful.
The article, “How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times” published in Greater Good Magazine, emphasizes how practicing gratitude can help us sail through our hard times. One of the tips shared in the article to practice gratitude is to not deny suffering and pain, it emphasizes the importance of acknowledgment of our suffering and pain can help us deal with our hard times:
“Processing a life experience through a grateful lens does not mean denying negativity. It is not a form of superficial happiness. Instead, it means realizing the power you have to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. It means reframing a loss into a potential gain, recasting negativity into positive channels for gratitude.”
Conclusion
As mentioned in the beginning, we often overlook doing some simple practices every day that can potentially bring a great transformation in our lives in the long run. So, let’s not underestimate the potential of simple practices, and make a start to practice simple practices with practicing gratitude daily and enjoy the potential massive positive rewards in the long run.