8 Ways Gratitude Improves You

The attitude of gratitude is definitely a win-win practice. You give some, you receive some and both parties gain something positive.

So, regardless of your current situation in life, it is always best to be grateful. Because being mindful and grateful for what you already have benefits you in so many ways.

8 ways how gratitude benefits you

Something about the practice of gratitude makes us want to keep doing it. Because it makes us feel good and thus inspires us to do the same for others.

Aside from this positive feeling, there are numerous other benefits to practicing gratitude. And we have listed the top 8 below.

Boosts happiness

Practicing gratitude gives a boost to your happiness.

Gratitude, according to research, has a way of releasing feel-good hormones in our brain. Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are hormones that allow us to experience pleasure and feel good about ourselves.

They also enhance our feelings of connection and social bonding. Making us more aware of and appreciative of the bonds we share with our family and friends.

Note however that happiness is not about fun-filled laughter and gaiety all the time. Because these situations are fleeting, momentary, and do not remain constant in everyday living.

Rather, happiness is a sense of joy, satisfaction, and contentment in your life. And this is what practicing gratitude can help you with. More satisfying happiness and being more appreciative of the things and relationships you already have.

Helps you enjoy things more

Another benefit of the practice of gratitude is that you increase your enjoyment of the things you have.

Because you are appreciative, you have more pleasure and satisfaction when you notice, use, or connect with what you have.

This is due to you being present and in the moment. And not distracted by thoughts of things you don’t have.

Helps you cope with stress

In addition to feelings of happiness and contentment, practicing gratitude helps you cope with stress more effectively.

Again, this is due to the release of feel-good hormones. Which allows you to feel better and thus reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

With conscious and constant practice of gratitude, you will develop a good habit.

One that, in addition to positive emotions, promotes other benefits. That allows you to build inner strength and deal with stress.

Strengthens relationships

With gratitude, you can strengthen your relationships with family and friends. You will also have the motivation to build new ones.

The reason is that appreciation and being appreciated create a deep connection. Because as humans, we gravitate toward those who are supportive and attuned to our needs. Making us more likely to build or strengthen our relationships with them.

Makes you healthier

Another of the numerous advantages of gratitude is the positive impact it has on our physical and mental health.

According to research, grateful people have fewer health issues such as headaches, digestive issues, colds, and other respiratory infections. They have also reported having clearer skin.

Furthermore, gratitude has been shown to help lower blood pressure and is generally beneficial to the heart.

Lastly, practicing gratitude leads to wiser health decisions. Such as healthy eating, exercise, or other physical activities, as well as abstaining from vices such as smoking.

Improves sleep

We are all aware of how important sleep is in our lives. However, most people have difficulty sleeping and getting enough rest.

This inability to get quality sleep leads to issues such as lack of focus and concentration. As well as physical ailments such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

However, by practicing gratitude you can significantly improve the quality of your sleep.

According to research, grateful people sleep faster and sleep longer. In addition to having better sleep quality and being able to stay alert easily during the day.

Another finding is that grateful people sleep better. This is due to having positive thoughts instead of negative ones before going to bed.

Expands your sense of abundance

When you practice gratitude, your mind is drawn to what you have. It will emphasize the presence of things rather than their absence. This then strengthens your abundance mindset. This is the belief that there is more where things come from so there is no need to worry.

And as your abundance mindset expands, you can relax and stop worrying about the things you don’t have in life. There is a sense of calm assurance that you already have everything you need.

Improves productivity

In continuation of the previous point, because you are no longer stressed and concerned about what you lack. And are no longer wasting time going after what you don’t have. You can now focus on and accomplish more important tasks.

In addition to the freedom from stress and worry. You also free yourself from the clutches of comparing what you have to what other people have. This freedom leads to actually doing things that you love, things that are beneficial to your improvement. And that of others.

Moreover, the practice of gratitude allows you to have a more reciprocal and productive interaction with other people. Whether in your job or business.

Furthermore, gratitude allows you to be more forgiving of yourself and others. This leads to more action, more risk-taking, and more creative solutions.

Finally, having an attitude of gratitude allows you to be more accepting of failure. You realize that failure is a learning experience. And that you can go after your goals again and again until it is achieved.

Conclusion

To conclude, practicing gratitude has numerous benefits. That will undoubtedly improve you and the quality of your life, including:

• increasing happiness,
• helping you to enjoy things more,
• coping with stress,
• strengthening relationships,
• making you healthier,
• improving sleep,
• expanding your sense of abundance, and
• improving your productivity.

That being said, it pays to be grateful. To improve yourself and your life, you must take the time to appreciate what you have. And be aware of its presence in your life.

Please share your thoughts or ideas about 8 Ways Gratitude Improves You in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:

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Outside reference/s:

How Gratitude Makes You Happier
20 Ways Gratitude Improves Productivity