The practice of gratitude, albeit relatively recently resurrected as a mainstream practice for awakening minds in the modern world, is a practice that has been around since the beginning of time. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.
But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, like any healthy practice in our fast paced living, it can still be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken or lacking in our lives. For gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to be more than just an occasional ‘giving of thanks’. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit and this needs to be established through consistent persistent action.
That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about, and therefore reinforcing what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing where otherwise we were blinkered as to the solutions that are open and available to us. Gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being.
Having an ‘attitude of gratitude’ helps to balance and reduce your stress levels. When you’re tense and live your days with an underlying emotion of angst or this feeling of lack, your nerves are consistently activated, your muscles are tense and in this state of emergency (that’s how your body views it) blood is diverted away from digestion, your immune system is challenged, your sleep is disrupted, you lose surplus and become irritable, angry, your concentration and attention to detail wanes, you become more clumsy and the negative self talk spiral goes on and on. Simply by shifting your view to a more relaxed, positive one where you actively give thanks and express gratitude for the positives in your life this relaxes your entire body sending the message that you are safe and that all is good. You are made up of your cells. Without them there is no You. So when each of them vibrate to their highest potential, flowing freely, that is the message that You receive and so your days are calmer and flow with greater ease and joy.
So you can see how the practice of gratitude actually affects us on a very real physical, emotional level.
There are many things to be grateful for: the summer sun, following your dreams and receiving support along the way, dark chocolate, fresh vegetables straight from the farm, the budding flowers of Spring, hammocks, friends, reading, learning, your computer, your (insert favourite body part here). What rocks your boat and brings a smile to your lips?
4 Simple Ways to Practice Gratitude
• Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. Even just keeping your journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way
• Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine – ‘3 things I am grateful for today’
• Find the hidden blessing in a challenging situation
• When you feel like complaining or gossiping, make a gratitude list instead
As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur and if you’re really tuning in you can feel this experience on the spot for example when you shift your attitude right in the midst of what I call a ‘complaining cycle’. The sense of calm and fulfillment you’ll feel, that is gratitude.
What little tool do you use to help you shift your mindset from one of lack and complaint to one of positive world view?
