Gratitude is one of the most underutilized sources of benefit in the modern world. We become so frazzled by the day-to-day of materialistic life that we ignore how grateful we should be for what we already have. Practicing gratitude daily can be life-changing in many different aspects, including our relationships, productivity, sleep, and personalities. Here are just a few of the unexpected ways we can benefit from practicing gratitude daily.
1. Gratitude can start your morning off right.
Beginning the day with gratitude can drastically change the way you wake up. By spending just a few minutes in the morning writing down 5 things you're grateful for, you center your day around appreciation rather than stress. You gain a ton of positivity and become more focused and productive! It really can be the start to a great morning.
2. Gratitude can improve relationships.
Expressing gratitude to our friends, family, and partners is a huge part of the foundation of a relationship. By showing how thankful you are for that person and everything they do, you make them feel appreciated and loved! You are telling them how much you care, which leads to a better, more loving relationship.
3. Gratitude can reduce materialism.
Materialism is highly correlated with mental health issues and reduced well-being. This is because, without gratitude, we end up having a skewed view of reality and the importance of appreciation. There is an inherent inability to recognize the blessings we have because we are so focused on how we be richer. In practicing gratitude, we tend to become less materialistic and more focused on what truly matters to us, like personal happiness and well-being. Our attention is less likely to be held by the constant need for more. Instead, our focus is on what we already have, and we appreciate it!
4. Gratitude can increase self-esteem.
What better boost to our own self-esteem than to realize how awesome our lives are? Not only does practicing gratitude make us less self-centered, but it also can better our sense of self and self-care. In recognizing how grateful we are for those who help us, we also come to recognize how loved we are. After all, in listing what you're grateful for, you are also listing each person who loves you and what they mean in your life! That's a recipe for a boost in self-esteem.
5. Gratitude improves your sleep.
Practicing daily gratitude can, somewhat surprisingly, help with quality of sleep and insomnia! The key is to pay attention to what is on our minds as we are trying to fall asleep. If our thoughts induce stress or anxiety, the sleep duration and quality will suffer. However, if we can spend a few minutes at night thinking about what we are thankful for, we can trigger our own response to relaxation and fall asleep quicker for a more restful sleep!
6. Gratitude can increase your productivity.
When your mind is occupied with worries of inadequacy and stress, there is much less room to be productive in work or school. However, when we take a second to take stock of what we are thankful for, our state of mind relaxes, releasing the tension of that inadequacy. We are thereby more likely to be productive in our lives! Cool, huh?
7. Gratitude reduces envy.
How could it not? By placing your attention on what we have, we become less envious of what others have. This is because the feelings of envy and gratitude are somewhat mutually exclusive; in having immense gratitude for your blessings, we become less envious because we lose the sense of inadequacy. In short, we want for less. This also can increase your positivity on a day-to-day basis.
8. Gratitude makes you happy!
It's no surprise that recognizing what you are grateful can lighten your mood and make you happier. But did you know that it can also help relieve some symptoms of depression and anxiety, too? Now, we know that gratitude itself won't cure depression, but it can help in the short-term! Who knew, right? Being grateful for what you have can increase positivity and optimism exponentially.
