Here are 4 ways in which practising gratitude can improve your life

When was the last time you sat down and thought of all things you’re thankful for? When it comes to the things we pursue in life, most of us end up concentrating more on things we don’t have. In the process, we forget to be thankful for what we do possess. However, practising gratitude can truly turn your life around by helping you change your mindset and view of the world.

There are multiple ways in which you can start appreciating life. You can practice gratitude by thinking about things that add value to your life, or by simply reaching out to thank someone who has been kind to you. You can even just say a loud ‘thank you, have a great day!’ to the doorman who opens the door for you in your building. 

Practising gratitude is the ability to be kind to those who are kind to you and feeling appreciation for all that you have. Turns out, doing so also has benefits!

Here are four ways in which practising gratitude can improve your life:

1. It keeps away toxic emotions

When you’re dealing with negative emotions such as envy, anger and regret, you might have noticed that they amplify the toxicity. Prolonged feeling of negativity will translate into self-detrimental behaviour and will really pull down your mental health. 

However, practising gratitude will help you deal with the negativity. Being thankful enables us to cut out the toxic emotions while reminding ourselves about the positivity that surrounds us. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Research in Personality observes that practising gratitude can reduce the frequency of depressive episodes.

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2. It helps you be more hopeful and feel better about your life

Practising gratitude is an excellent way to remind yourself just how good you have it. No one’s life is perfect and at any given point of time, there’s something that we want but don’t have. 

However, being thankful for how our life is will only help us be more hopeful about the future. A study from the University of Miami noted that participants who wrote a few sentences of gratitude each day for 10 weeks felt more optimistic. When you feel optimistic, you are motivated to make an effort towards your future endeavours as well.

3. It helps you expand your social network

Having a healthy, wide social network can open doors of opportunities for you. More than that, we need human connection to stay emotionally healthy. In a study published in the journal Emotion, it was observed that practising gratitude can help you expand your social circle and deepen your friendships. It can enable you to create meaningful bonds with those around you.

4. It will help you sleep better

When you’re going through a rough patch in terms of your mental health, you tend to lose out on sleep. However, practising gratitude can help you bring your sleep cycle back on track. 

According to research in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, being thankful can enable one to sleep better and be well-rested. Catching up on sleep will help you have a stable mood and be more productive.

Being thankful goes a long way in helping you out!