Gratitude is something that we think about during the holiday season. It’s almost the end of the year and we are looking at the highs and the lows. We are also making plans for the New Year and where we want to be personally, professionally, financially and spiritually. This year, I started the practice of gratitude and it really has transformed my thinking. It’s a conscious effort to be thankful and I often forget but it is one of the best things I can do for myself in all areas of my life.
Why Gratitude Is Good For You
Actively practicing gratitude is good for your health. The Today Show just ran a story about the benefits of being thankful such as a healthier heart and less inflammation. They also surveyed stressed law students and found that those who were more optimistic actually had better immune systems. Researchers also found that “people who keep a gratitude journal have a reduced dietary fat intake – as much as 25 percent lower. Stress hormones like cortisol are 23 percent lower in grateful people. And having a daily gratitude practice could actually reduce the effects of aging to the brain.” You can read the full article here.
Being thankful helps me focus on what’s going right vs. what’s going wrong. I have become a lot more appreciative of the things I have and the process I’m going through now. I had one of those bad days last week where it seemed like nothing was going my way. It would have been so easy to get frustrated and call it a day. But I definitely felt the mindset shift when I started thinking about all the blessings I had instead of what was going wrong.
Why Gratitude Is Good For Your Business
Fast Company covered how gratitude helps your business. In The Surprising Benefits of Gratitude, they found that expressing gratitude makes you appear more successful. I feel like being thankful helps me in my business by simply showing me where I am making progress. I can look back at where I was a few months ago and see where I am at now.
Gratitude helps you remember to give back to others and to see opportunities to help others. We all remember what it was like when we first started a project or business. The late nights…the self doubt…the frustration. And we remember what it felt like when it turned to small victories then the bigger victories. I know in my blogging journey- I have seen a shift in how much faster I am able to do certain things like a blog post or a graphic. Those small victories inspire me to help others who are starting their blogging journeys.
How To Practice Gratitude Everyday
One of the easiest ways to practice gratitude is by keeping a gratitude journal. I also like the idea of writing down things you are thankful for, putting them in a jar and reading them at the end of the year with your family. Letting someone know how thankful you are for them is also a huge way to practice gratitude.
There are so many reasons to be thankful. The effects for you, your family and your business can be huge and help you get to the next level whatever your goal may be.
Tell me in the comments below- what are you thankful for this year? How do you practice gratitude?
