Gratitude entails more than merely expressing “thank you”. It also entails identifying and valuing the things, people, animals, and facets of our lives that make us happy. It has been demonstrated that being grateful can enhance our lives and uplift our spirits. According to research, feeling gratitude can lower stress and enrich our general health and well-being. On the whole, people who are truly grateful for what they have instead of dwelling on or worrying about what they don’t, have fewer stress-related illnesses, less depression, lower blood pressure, are fitter and wealthier, have more fulfilling personal and professional relationships, and most importantly, are happier!
Think back to the joy you experienced the last time a friend came to your aid or your partner prepared a gourmet meal. A growing body of research also suggests that feeling and expressing thankfulness can have a long-lasting positive impact on your mood. Writing and delivering a sincere thank-you letter made people happier for an entire month thereafter, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. The same researchers also found that listing three happy occasions each day for a week kept people’s happiness levels high for up to six months.
There is always something to be grateful for, even through the worst and most trying circumstances. It might be something as basic as waking up to the sound of birds chirping or the bowl of cereal you had for breakfast, or it can be something more complicated like your health, your ability to utilize your limbs, or simply waking up to a new day. It can be challenging to see the bright side of our lives at times, especially during the challenging times of life. We must develop the everyday practice of expressing thankfulness because of this. Maintaining a gratitude jar is one of my favourite ways to show appreciation. This jar is filled with everything for which I am grateful, both great and tiny. In my thankfulness jar, I keep a list of at least one thing I’m grateful for each day. To be reminded of everything I have been grateful for in the past, I open my thankfulness jar during those trying times when it is harder to notice the good things. I hope my encouragement to establish a thankfulness jar has helped you. I believe you’ll discover how beneficial this straightforward practice can be for embracing your gratitude.
Of all, the real objective is to make thankfulness your default emotion rather than to keep a journal of your expressions of thanks. Thank-you cards and a gratitude notebook can help tap into, enhance, and energize these four fundamental traits of thankful people, according to Eastern Washington University researchers.
People who experience the most appreciation (and consequently the good consequences) tend to:
- Feel an abundance in their lives;
- Recognize and appreciate life’s simple joys;
- Recognize the significance of feeling and expressing thanks.
Whether or not these attitudes come easily to you, focusing on the good things in life will train you to notice them more and more, which will teach you to be more appreciative. You might consider it a blessing that the weather let you go for an afternoon run, that a stranger helped you, that you arrived at the bus stop in time, or that your children offered to assist with the dishes. By recognizing these things, you can develop a grateful mindset and, along with it, a happiness boost that will last all year.
I’d like to share with you a paraphrase from self-help author Melody Beattie that I appreciate: Gratitude opens the door to life’s fullness. It makes what we already have more than enough. Denial is transformed into acceptance, disorder into order, and obscurity into clarity. A meal may become a feast, a house can become a home, and a stranger can become a friend thanks to it. Gratitude clarifies our past, offers comfort to the present, and inspires a vision for the future.
In closing, I would like to state that at ATAFOM University International we are grateful for an opportunity to provide students worldwide with the rare opportunity of a world-class education. We are grateful for our international team of lecturers and students from different continents of the world. We are honoured and grateful to use education as a tool for integration. As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is seen in the eating. Step through our open doors today; you’ll be glad you did. ATAFOM University International – Always Grateful!