Practice Gratitude

Since the beginning of time, the human brain has been prepared to survive and not to be happy. This survival has been achieved by keeping the senses alert to any threat, even if it does not occur. In the current era, although it is no longer necessary to feel that everything around us is a danger, our mind, naturally and according to some research, warns of this. A distortion of reality occurs, which causes us constant uneasiness.

In order to overcome this continuous state of anxiety and worry, most of the time caused by assumptions and imaginary problems, it is necessary to train our mind and feed it with objective, clear and real facts. This is what we call: the practice of gratitude.

This practice has important benefits for both physical and emotional health. Therefore, learning to change the perspective that our brain offers us will lead us to a much more balanced life, one that is on the path to happiness.

Among the main benefits of feeling grateful for everything we experience, not only the positive, but also the challenges that life presents us with and cause us pain or discomfort, scientific studies highlight:

• Helps improve social relationships, build and strengthen healthy bonds with others.

• It helps us not to feel alone and isolated.

• Improves our physical health. It makes us value our body, be more respectful of it and take better care of it.

• Improves emotional and heart health by facing life calmly, putting stress aside and being able to let go of pain and traumatic experiences.

• Increases activity, energy and fluidity.

• Helps you sleep better, with a deeper and more restful rest.

• Generates greater productivity and helps improve the quality of work.

1. The gratitude diary

Journaling has always been an excellent way to get rid of emotional burdens that build up during the day. Not in vain, according to a study conducted at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, writing down what has happened to us during the day, especially if they are positive experiences, helps to increase general well-being. Write down everything good that has happened to you: someone who helped you, good news, or something that you thought could go wrong and finally prospered.

2. Thank you letter

Thanking others for what they do for you is a generous act that also has benefits. A good practice is to write letters, messages or emails in which you express your gratitude for the favor received . It is not necessary to go into too much detail, often choosing just one word is enough.

3. Reflect on what we have and what we can lose

Great philosophers always offer answers to the great moral and even emotional questions of human beings. It has been proven that a state of well-being can be given to us by acquiring a new good: a car, a house, a vacation, or a different emotional state such as falling in love. However, this euphoria is temporary. According to Stoicism, the best way to maintain a certain emotional level is to think negatively. That is, to put ourselves in the place of if we were to lose it. A very significant example is to think about our life. Why not be thankful every day for being alive?

4. Enjoy the little things

One of the bad habits that often distresses human beings is that we always wait for great events to happen. Meanwhile, the important moments that happen in our lives fade away into nothingness, without being enjoyed as they deserve. Make every moment unforgettable and appealing. Even those that seem more everyday. We have the ability to turn every moment into a pleasant and unforgettable experience.

5. Take some distance from the information reality

The excess of information, especially that which focuses on negative events, is generating maximum levels of anxiety and stress. In fact, some psychological studies show how the catastrophism that is displayed on television news is creating a negative impact on society. So it is best to take some distance. Look for specific information so as not to live outside of reality, but compensate with all the information that is emerging and that is positive.

Once we are aware that our mind tends to banish the positive to increase the negative, it is time to get to work. Be objective and seek balance between the problems and privileges that we receive every day.

6. Find the good behind the bad

It is true that no one is going to be thankful for the bad things that happen to them, but it is important that you learn to find the positive that exists behind negative experiences and be thankful for it . For example, if you hate getting up early and you have to, think that by being awake very early you can enjoy the spectacle that the sky gives you every dawn.

7. Be thankful for the good in you

Sometimes you can be your own worst judge. It's time to learn to recognize your qualities, virtues and skills, and be grateful for them . Every day, take some time to make a short list of things you like about yourself, such as the color of your eyes, your ability to be caring, your ability to draw, how good you are at cooking, etc.

You can also express gratitude for others, but not just for doing you a favor or giving you a gift, but for being part of your life, listening to you, accompanying you, or not rejecting you when you are having a bad day and are in a bad mood.

Establishing a new habit requires 4 steps:

1. Get yourself a nice notebook and before going to sleep, instead of checking your social media, spend 5 minutes writing down 3 things from your day that you are grateful for.

Remember, we're not talking about big things. You could be thankful for being alive, for being healthy, for receiving good news from a loved one, for sleeping next to your husband, for that afternoon of coffee and laughter with your best friend, or for that "I love you mommy" from your child when you least expected it.

2. Over the next few weeks, consciously look for actions by others that help you and make you feel good, and be grateful for them. This exercise will help you develop and strengthen a mindset of gratitude. But it's not enough to just express your gratitude; it's also important to show it.

3. Choose a loved one, friend, coworker, neighbor or stranger each month, identify what you could do to help them and do it! Without expecting anything in return.

4. After implementing these small changes in your daily life, look inside yourself and analyze how you feel.

Do you practice gratitude on a regular basis? If not, what's stopping you from starting?...if you take a moment each day to practice gratitude and appreciate the positive things that happen to you, you will be a happier and healthier person with a more positive outlook on life.