The key to happiness may indeed be unlocked by focusing on the good rather than wallowing in our own misery.
If you’re not feeling chipper today, or any day, you may want to train yourself to think differently. It seems impossible when you’re in the thick of your troubles, but research shows that people who focus on gratitude tend to be healthier and happier. In one experiment, participants were asked to write and send thank-you notes. These participants reported increased happiness that lasted for the duration of a month.
It stands to reason that the way we look at that glass of life we’ve been poured may be the simplest way to make the biggest changes. But how do you get to that point when all you see are problems? Mounting bills, relationship struggles, raising a family, and the anxiety-inducing way the world is today all take their toll. Many things we can’t change, but our perspective is something we can shift if we take the steps to nudge it in that positive direction.
So, how do you put the focus on gratitude to improve your life?
Start Small
When you look at your problems, they may all feel too big to handle. That’s why taking a look at the little things may be the best place to start practicing gratitude. Dr. Alex Korb mentions that gratitude makes us focus on the positive things in his book, Upward Spiral. Even if you can only look at the weather and be grateful it’s sunny outside or you see a cute dog while out walking, be grateful for those small things.
Find Gratitude in the Midst of Challenges
Once you have mastered the act of being grateful for even the teensiest things, it’s time to look at the more challenging parts of your life. Those difficult situations are the time you need gratitude the most. After all, some of the hardest things we ever endure teach us more about ourselves. Often, they lead to new doors that bring us to happier places.
Engage in Mindfulness
To start looking at life with more gratitude, you’ve got to put pen to paper. Each day, make a list of at least five things you are grateful for in your life. When you practice gratitude daily, it rewires your brain to naturally think this way. Before you know it, you will begin to feel happier every time you sit and focus on this list of things.
You may want to make this part of a gratitude journal too. This will allow you to flip back through what you’ve recorded in those times when life seems to have gone awry.
Give Back by Volunteering
If you still feel stuck for finding your way to gratitude, a simple and actionable way to go about it is to volunteer. You will feel more grateful for the things you tend to take for granted, but there’s something else in it for you too. Studies have shown that when you volunteer to help others, it increases your own sense of well-being and leads to having more gratitude.
Just Say It
Naturally, gratitude is also something that should be shared. You can feel even more grateful if you simply say it to the people you care about. A group called Soul Pancake set up an experiment to discover what they called “the science of happiness.” In the experiment, they asked people to write a letter to another person that they were grateful for having in their lives.
Interestingly, this simple act boosted happiness levels from 2% up to 4%, but it gets better. The same people were asked to make a phone call to someone they were thankful for and express gratitude directly. When they did, those happiness levels climbed from 4% to 19%, which is very telling for how gratitude impacts us all.
Spend Time with the Ones You Love
When you surround yourself with the people you love, it certainly makes you happier. Think about the last time you saw your best friend, your parents, or coming home each day to your family. We all have our moments, but when we focus on that love that binds us together, it opens our hearts. We can feel joy and happiness in these moments together.
Even with more challenging relatives, you can find gratitude by simply listening intently rather than waiting for your chance to interject. Start small with something nice, a compliment about something you like, even if it’s just their shoes.
Gratitude and Happiness Go Hand-in-Hand
Research shows that gratitude is always linked to greater happiness. With gratitude, you begin to feel more positive emotions and learn to savor the good things in life. It can also improve your overall health and well-being while helping you cope with adversity.
As you work on being more grateful, you will feel happier. But you can also do things to boost your mood as well and enjoy that double-bonus of happiness and gratitude together. Getting exercise is a great way to do this and has the added benefit of aiding all other aspects of your health too. You can also try getting into a hobby to spark that joy back up in your heart. Once you get into the practice of gratitude, it will become second-nature for you to think this way and help you live your most rewarding life.
Featured Image Credit – Donald Giannatti (Unsplash)
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