One of the simplest habits being developed and studied for its practical application is gratitude. By developing a routine of gratitude, individuals are able to notice the positive things in life at a greater rate than if they did not practise gratitude. Gratitude also allows the individual time for reflection throughout their busy day.
In today’s society, the practice of gratitude has been recognised by psychological professionals as being more than just a feel-good concept. Gratitude is now considered to be a practical skill that develops the individual’s emotional awareness, and this awareness contributes to creating greater emotional responses during stress. As the interest in gratitude continues to grow, gratitude will undoubtedly continue to receive more attention worldwide.
The Science Behind Gratitude and Emotional Awareness
The understanding of how gratitude works is what can be attributed to the lasting effects of gratitude. Gratitude provides a pathway to achieve happiness through incremental daily positive habits. The incremental changes to an individual’s emotional and mental habits create a framework for understanding the science of gratitude.
Gratitude is associated with positive living, and is related to the way the brain processes emotions and experiences. Research finds that the concept of gratitude is related to the emotional memory and attention of the individual.
Gratitude, Brain Function, and Emotional Regulation
In addition to improving the emotional memory of individuals through their habitual practise of gratitude, there is evidence from brain studies that gratitude activates areas within the brain associated with the experience of reward. This is beneficial for motivating individuals to regulate their moods and their emotional responses.
Current studies demonstrate a positive correlation between the presence of habitual gratitude practices, as well as lower levels of stress and higher levels of positive mood. Therefore, by reducing the levels of stress hormones produced within the body, and as a result providing for the maintenance of emotional stability, the above-mentioned findings have aided in the development of gratitude becoming a widely recommended intervention.
Growing Scientific Support for Gratitude
As scientific knowledge continues to expand, gratitude continues to gain credibility as a tool for support. Continued discovery and understanding of these scientific findings create a natural opportunity for people to incorporate gratitude into their everyday lives, thus assisting them in recognising the emotional benefits of incorporating gratitude into their lives.
Supportive Practices of Gratitude and Emotional Wellness
Supportive Practices of Gratitude Practicing Gratitude helps develop emotional wellness by focusing on being emotional wellness every day. The mental health professional endorses both gratitude journaling as well as gratitude reflection because research into both forms of practice shows decreased anxiety and greater clarity regarding emotions.
Those who commit to daily gratitude practices, even if for a short period of time, notice the benefits of the practice and experience a relief from stress.
Gratitude Practices and Emotional Balance
Gratitude-based practices assist with regulating emotions, due to modifying how we interpret the situation. Through the practice of gratefully acknowledging life’s little moments, we grow less reactive to negative stimuli. Gratitude practices help establish an emotional equilibrium so that we may maintain an even-tempered emotional state when faced with the amount of stress that we experience in our daily lives.
Emotional awareness grows as we practice using gratitude. Practices of gratitude benefit interpersonal relationships.
Gratitude, Thought Patterns, and Positive Mindset
Psychologists have stated that the way we think repeatedly can impact how we respond emotionally and potentially create self-fulfilling prophecies. When we practice gratitude, we are interrupting our negative thinking loops. By creating a focus on being grateful for what we have, our brains develop a belief in expecting positive outcomes, which fosters greater confidence and motivates individuals to achieve their goals.
Many of the popular wellness platforms, such as Headspace, emphasize the need to develop gratitude in order to obtain clarity in our thoughts and feelings. These platforms also promote exercises that cultivate mindfulness, appreciation, and allow participants to have the ability to slow down their thoughts.
Gratitude Journaling and Daily Mental Wellness
Developing a balanced mindset also helps reduce self- criticism and other negative behaviors. Once habits of developing a positive mindset are created, they will begin to change our daily habits naturally. As a result, we will be more thoughtful in our responses to life situations and stress. Therefore, all of the above will prepare us to apply gratitude practically each day after this stage.
Gratitude Journaling Helps You Live Positively Everyday. When we incorporate gratitude daily into our lives, we will experience a positive increase in Mental Wellness through Gratitude journaling becomes easy, compared with complex wellness plans. Positive changes that occur due to the consistent repetition of small actions create the foundation for the long-term emotional changes experienced from the implementation of a Gratitude daily Journaling practice. Many Mental Health practitioners advocate short Gratitude Journalling sessions.
Practical Ways to Express Gratitude Daily
There are several popular organizations that have come out with several easy methods of expressing gratitude that can easily fit into busy schedules.
Here is a sample list of examples of practical ways to express gratitude:
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Write down three positive things you experienced today
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Mentally thank the person or people that helped you
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Notice the little comfortable things you are currently experiencing (lunches, eating comfortably, the feeling of rest, fresh air, etc.)
Gratitude, Relationships, and Emotional Health
Expressing gratitude through the habits of showing appreciation to those around us – whether to a close friend or co- worker, will lead to greater emotional connections to those around us through increased mutual respect. Giving thanks reduces confusion and emotional distance between people; therefore, the emotional bond becomes stronger and promotes emotional health.
Many organisations such as Gallup have conducted studies on employee morale and have concluded that showing gratitude leads to better moral/engaged employees, lower burnout rates, better cooperation and motivation to work as a team, and improved happiness overall. Through positive communication, we become emotionally intelligent humans and as our relations continue to improve, we feel increasingly comfortable professing our feelings of gratitude towards those we love and appreciate.
Habitual Gratitude and Sustainable Positive Living
When combined with other wellness activities, gratitude, and gratitude habits, together, create a stronger base for an individual’s emotional endurance. Habitually Grateful Habits Lead to Sustainable Positive Living.
Many of these technological platforms, such as Calm, provide users with a guided reflection on their gratitude. Many of these platforms have built-in systems to help users create their gratitude habit by providing reminders of and short exercises to assist with developing the habit of being grateful. Because most people have the motivation to stay engaged, digital platforms help users become emotional aware.
When a person can identify with his or her gratitude habit as being part of his or her identity, living in a positive manner will be second nature. These daily connections to the value in everyday moments promote emotional health and balance, allowing people to react with greater calmness to their experiences while allowing for a more complete and stable view of what their life means over time.
A regular and consistent gratitude practice helps individuals develop a positive perspective of both good and bad times throughout their lives, as it helps to shift attention from constant pressure and comparison to other people, to their own experience and needs. As a result, lower levels of emotional stress and increased feelings of satisfaction can be attained as individuals engage in developing and sustaining gratitude as an everyday part of their lives.
