Daily Gratitude Practice

 

First, gratitude is arguably essential in achieving a happy state of mind. The key is to start your day right. When you wake up,

THANK GOD for everything you've been blessed with. Count at least three things you are grateful for. First, you should be thankful that you woke up again this morning. Congratulate yourself and feel gratitude that you are again alive. You and I take this life for granted, but did you know many people did not wake up today? Now look at your loved ones, your family or friends; they, too, are alive. You didn't get any shocking calls from your loved ones in the middle of the night, which means that your family and close friends are all well. You can never take this precious life for granted when one person dies every two seconds. So, start feeling grateful for that. If you are reading this on an electronic device or can buy things using your computer and internet connection, you are way better off than most of the

population on the planet; this is something else to feel grateful for. However, let's be clear, at no stage does feeling grateful mean one should become complacent and lazy. No, we should always give our best yet accept that things will not always work out the way we want while always being grateful at every level, whether material, physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. "Consistently grateful People are happier, more energetic, more hopeful, and report experiencing more frequent positive emotions. It tends to be helpful, empathic, spiritual, religious, forgiving and less materialistic than others who have lessened exposure to gratitude. Happiness happens as soon as you practice gratitude. When you express gratitude, you can never be sad simultaneously.

People who are grateful might not be depressed, anxious or lonely. Research demonstrated that people who kept a weekly gratitude journal for ten weeks and noted only five things they were thankful for were significantly happier than those who didn't.

How can gratitude be made a part of everyday life?

Simple. It doesn't take more than two minutes. As you wake up, try to count three good things in life. They don't need to be massive; they can be even more minor things like good sleep, the comfy feeling of your bed, a cool breeze outside your window, or seeing your partner or kids sleeping and relaxed. These simple things could be reasons for feeling grateful or anything you feel good about. Some people use a gratitude journal, where they write a few things

they are most thankful for daily. You can write in it anywhere, in any simple notebook. Whether you think about it or write about it, the key is consistency. Write three to five things about which you are grateful every morning. During the day, look at the things that are going well in your life and feel thankful for them. It reinforces this habit. Do the same thing before going to sleep. This practice is a lifesaver, as everyone invariably does when you hit a rough patch. "If you aren't grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?" ~Roy T. Bennett. Practice it, and you will start to attract abundance and joy in your life. The key is to sincerely thank you from the heart and with feelings. Try it out for yourself. Benefits of gratitude: Physical: Stronger immune systems, less bothered by aches and pains, lower blood pressure, exercise more and better care of their health, sleep longer, and feel refreshed upon waking. Psychological: Higher levels of positive emotions, more alertness, aliveness, and awareness, more joy and pleasure, and more optimism and happiness. Social: More helpful, generous, compassionate, forgiving, outgoing, less lonely and isolated.

by Zahra