Gratitude is good- and how to cultivate it.

Gratitude is a state of being thankful or appreciative of what one has. It is an excellent practice for overcoming an unpleasant emotional state. It makes us content with what we have and shifts our worldview.

According to doctor Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude has two stages: the first is acknowledging the good side of what one has, and the second is recognizing that whatever goodness there is exists outside the self. it means that it didn’t stem from anything from ourselves that we should take pride in.

Gratitude can be considered a character strength it can be enhanced by awareness and practice.

 

Benefits of gratitude:

Gratitude has enormous benefits for our entire being, whether in physical, social, or psychological states.

Physically, it boosts our immune system and lowers health issues; it helps us instill healthy habits such as exercising and sleeping enough; and it increases optimism.

It makes us more compassionate, giving, and forgiving socially, as well as less isolated and lonely.

The benefits are more socially relationship-strengthening emotions because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people.

 

How gratitude affects one’s life?

Gratitude can transform our lives in many ways:

 

1. It allows us to enjoy the present moment: 

Studies have shown that positive emotions fade quickly. Our systems adapt to positive life circumstances such as a new house or a new car, which initially make us happy but soon lose their excitement.

Gratitude increases our appreciation and value for things, allowing us to participate more in life and magnifying the pleasures of life rather than adapting to goodness.

 

2. Blocks toxic and negative emotions:

Regret, resentment, envy, and jealousy are all negative emotions that destroy our happiness. According to a study published in the Journal of Research in Personality by psychologist Alex Wood, gratitude reduces the frequency of depression.

Gratitude and envy are incompatible and cannot coexist in the same person. According to Michael McCullough and Jo-Ann Tsang, grateful people have low levels of resentment and envy.

 

3. Grateful people are stress resistant:

Numerous studies have shown that people who practice gratitude when confronted with adversity, trauma, suffering, or abuse tend to fight back quickly because gratitude shifts a person’s perspective, preventing them from harboring negative interpretations of life events.

 

Challenges to gratitude

Gratitude is beneficial, but it is not always easy. People tend to become self-obsessed, which means they believe that whatever good happens to them is due to them, but when something bad happens, they begin blaming others.

Gratitude contradicts our sense of control over our surroundings. With gratitude, sometimes you just have to accept and be content with what you have.

 

How to cultivate gratitude:

Here are some easy ways to cultivate gratitude:

Starting and ending your day by appreciating and being grateful for what we have is a great way to start and end your day. Being attentive and avoiding taking things for granted. Finding and appreciating small things that make you happy, such as good weather, a walk, and a hot cup of coffee.

Focusing on being grateful for not only things but also people who make you feel appreciated. For example, you might be grateful for the headphones that allowed you to have a good time while driving to work on a long traffic road or a deep conversation with your favorite person while driving to school or university.

You can also start a gratitude journal in which you write down five things you are grateful for each week. This practice, I believe, works because it deliberately and consciously focuses our attention on developing more grateful thinking and eliminating ungrateful thoughts.