Let's learn about gratitude
Because it's proven to support health, happiness, and wisdom
When I was doing the research for the Manifestation made Easy workbook that I shared last week, I was surprised to discover gratitude as one of the steps. And yet, when I followed my own workbook instructions to journal for a week on the things I was grateful for, it highlighted just how often my brain defaulted to what had not gone well. Diary entries would typically see me disgorging tales of frustration and woe. I thought this was good, getting it out of my system, but it turns out, this is 100% the wrong way to go!
Given instead the prompt ‘What would make today great?’ I had to focus on the opportunities of the day ahead. For example, a meeting in London felt at first breath like a hassle. It was easy to rattle off all the inconveniences of it: losing the chance to walk the dog in the morning, the drive to the train station, payment for parking, sorting a ticket, navigating the tube, crowds and so on. But re-framing it in the sphere of gratitude had me allowing that while yes, all of the above was true, the trip also provided me with an hour-long opportunity to read my new Nigel Slater book!
Such was the positive effect after a mere week of daily reframing, I felt compelled to know more. I wanted to understand why gratitude was so powerful, and what other ways there were to maximise it.
After all, studies state that practicing gratitude reduces stress, boosts mental and physical health, and enhances overall life satisfaction. And that people who practice it on a regular basis (so that it becomes more personality trait, than passing emotion) experience more positive feelings, increased empathy, build stronger relationships, and better deal with adversity! Quite the coup.