What are you grateful for?
Practicing and expressing gratitude is an important part of coping with stress because it helps you build emotional resilience and optimism.
Experts have found that people with greater levels of gratitude tend to have stronger personal relationships, appreciate their loved ones more, and overall have a more positive take on life. Because those who are happier, sleep better, and enjoy healthy relationships tend to be healthier overall, grateful people are usually healthy people.
If gratitude isn’t part of your daily thought process, that’s okay. Here are some easy steps you can take to gently shift the needle toward a more gracious life:
Catch your negative thoughts - When you find yourself grumbling to yourself about work as you get out of bed on a Monday morning, stop and think of at least 4 things forwhich you are grateful.
Be careful with comparisons - From the home makeover shows we watch on television to the social media feeds we absentmindedly scroll through, it’s easy to fall into the trap of social comparison. Thoughts like, “Why can’t I have a house like that?” or “Why can’t my hair look more like the model’s?” are likely to pop up without you really registering the fact that you’re comparing social worth and feeling stressed by “not measuring up.” To combat this habit, remind yourself often that what you see online and on television isn’t real. Also, remind yourself that what you see in person is only a fraction of what is going on behind closed doors.
Keep a journal - Some people get overwhelmed by the idea of keeping a journal because they think of it as homework. If writing down your thoughts of gratitude each day at a set time doesn’t appeal to you, dedicate a specific activity to pair with the practice. For example, washing dishes, brushing your teeth, shampooing your hair, walking your dog, or folding laundry are all good trigger activities to remind yourself to list off a few things you’re grateful for.