Why Gratitude?
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. " -Melody Beattie
Recent studies show that gratitude has many benefits including:
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Increased happiness and life satisfaction
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Better physical health
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Lower levels of anxiety and depression
- An overall healing effect
Gratitude can be described as:
Identifying what we are grateful for and giving thanks for what we have.
Ask yourself, what am I grateful for today?
Some things you may be grateful for:
- Being alive
- Health
- Family & Friends
- A pet
- Things: home, clothes, basic necessities like food
"When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around."
-Willie Nelson
How do I get started with gratitude?
By focusing each day on what you have that you are grateful for, you can live a happier and healthier life. Each morning or evening, ask yourself, what am I grateful for today? Say aloud a few things you are thankful for. They can be big or small. You can have a long list or a short list. Or, you can grab a notebook and write down things that you are grateful for each day.
Over time, you will find that you feel a happier and more content.
"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated." William James
Sharing gratitude
You may find that when you think of what you are grateful for, you often think of people in your life.
Who are you grateful for? How have they touched your life?
Consider sending them a note telling them you are grateful for them and why. This can be a powerful way to practice gratitude and share appreciation to those we care about, or even someone we just met.
In the Box of Gratitude, you will find specific instructions for how to write notes of gratitude, as well as writing prompts to help you get started and a worksheet to track your process. Our notecards have been described as timeless and are the perfect way to share thanks with others. Everything you need is included in the Box of Gratitude.
"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Links:
https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude