They say money can’t buy happiness. Is that true? Money alone, or the acquisition of possessions, cannot create happiness, right? So what can?
There is a secret. A key to true happiness. A way to upgrade your life without making any changes outside of your mindset. And you can have access to it whenever you want.
The secret is gratitude. Consistent, true gratitude.
Because that is what gratitude really is, isn’t it? A choice. Any of us can choose to be more grateful. We are alive. God gave us another day of life on planet Earth. Most likely, if you are reading this you live somewhere in the Western world. That alone is another blessing. And I am sure of it that you have plenty more.
I truly believe gratitude is the key to everything. Think about it. You can marry Brad Pitt, land your dream job, have a “perfect” family, making millions, and still be miserable. People fall into that trap all the time.
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Or, you can have a roof over your head and food on your plate and be happy. Those people exist too. The only difference is the perspective in which they view their situation.
Gratitude, like everything else in life, is just a perspective. It is also something that must be practiced, or learned, in order to increase it. It doesn’t just come naturally to most of us in our society. We are conditioned to want more, more, more.
Which, by the way, is perfectly fine too, as long as you are grateful along the way to creating your best life. As long as you train your brain to be thankful with each and every step.
But by taking the time to train your brain to be more grateful, it will start to become automatic. And trust me, it is well worth taking that time. Here are 5 of the benefits of increased gratitude.
1. Increased Happiness
Happiness is a frame of mind. According to Time, practicing gratitude and shifting into an appreciation mindset creates lasting happiness. This is in contrast to short term little bursts of happiness that come from compliments, receiving monetary gifts, shopping, etc.
Studies suggest that overall happiness increases 10% just by journaling on gratitude for 5 minutes a day. Even depression shows considerable improvement when gratitude is increased.
2. Improved Confidence
Because gratitude helps us feel better about our circumstances, it makes us feel better about ourselves, too. One of my favorite gratitude practices for confidence is creating a habit when looking at pictures of ourselves or looking in the mirror.
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Try reminding yourself to immediately pick out one thing you love about yourself. Over time, this will train your brain to start to look for the things you do like instead of the things you don’t.
3. Enhanced Relationships
It is SO easy to take our loved ones for granted. We expect so much in these relationships, but how often do we take a moment to soak in appreciation? Just like anything else in life, we can have the absolute best situation but if we don’t have gratitude it won’t mean much. It is equally important for the gratitude to go both ways.
Try setting aside a few minutes once a week and telling each other the things you are grateful for. It will start to become “normal” to your subconscious and will start to come about automatically.
4. Better Sleep
Practicing gratitude prior to falling asleep can not only make it easier to doze off, but also to stay asleep longer. Studies show it relaxes the nervous system to have positive thoughts at bedtime.
Making gratefulness part of your bedtime routine can be as simple taking a few deep breaths and then counting your blessings to help you fall asleep. It could also be keeping a notepad by your bed and jotting down 5 things you are thankful for prior to shutting your eyes.
5. Greater Willpower
Impulse control shows signs of improvement with increased gratitude. Research on overeating has demonstrated that practicing gratitude can help prevent us from making impulsive choices. Slowing down and taking a moment to be grateful can improve decision making by strengthening that willpower.
Decide to implement gratitude practice into your weekly routine. Even if starting off you just journal on gratitude on Sunday evenings. Our brain adjusts to what we are focusing on and looking for. It will always point those out to us first. Train it to look for the positive, and watch your life change.
