Why should I be grateful you may ask? That is a very good question. Gratitude can help change our attitude, all be it a small way. Research shows that it can reduce the stresses and strains in your life when combined with writing. When we write what we are grateful for it will give our mood a boost.

Why Does Writing Down Your Gratitude Work?

Research has now highlighted various ways writing down our gratitude list can benefit our mental and physical health.

Some of these benefits include, but are not limited to:

1. Stress Busting: Stress can make us very sick, it’s linked to cancer, death, heart disease, etc. Gratitude, on the other hand, is being linked through research as having a positive impact on how people cope better on a daily basis including when stressed. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis plays a major role in overcoming trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Plus is a major contributor to building resilience too.
2. Immune Booster: People who practice gratitude are more likely to take better care of themselves including having better self-care, diet (reduces your need to over-eat) and exercise. You are also more likely to have regular check-ups with your doctor or dentist. Studies are also linking optimism to better immune function. So if you do get sick or need surgery your recovery is better.
3. Relationship Booster: Whether you thank a stranger, family or friends studies are showing that people will respond in a more positive way. They will seek out a relationship with someone who is grateful. So showing gratitude to a colleague, family member, and a new or old friend will lead to better quality relationships.
4. Improves Mental Health: Gratitude reduces toxic emotions, increases happiness and reduces depression and anxiety. What we focus on grows. So if we focus on the positive we can grow that positive mindset we want.
5. Increases Our Patience Levels: Grateful people are more likely to behave in a more understanding and calm manner. Even when others behave less kindly or in an aggressive way. They begin to increase their ability to be more sensitive and have empathy towards others and have a decreased desire for revenge.
6. Improves Sleep Quality: Studies are showing that if you spend about 15 minutes writing down a few gratitude statements before bed your sleep will improve. Combined with a brain dump it allows our mind to rest more fully as we sleep.’
7. Improves Self-esteem:  We live in a time of distraction and looking at other’s highlight reel. We are tuning in more to what others are saying and not our own inner voice. Studies have shown that gratitude increases self-esteem and reduces comparison to others. In fact, you will appreciate more what others accomplish rather than be resentful towards them as your self-esteem and self-awareness grow.
8. Builds Happiness That Lasts: Gratitude, if practiced daily, does very quickly – within about 8/12 weeks – improve positive brain activity. This has been shown to last long-term and raises our happiness levels.

The How-To Guide To Gratitude Journaling.

Perhaps for the next month, in the run up to Christmas, you might like to start a gratitude journal. It should only take a few minutes each night. But you can add it to the end of a brain dump to help clear your mind.

At the end of your day simply write down 3 things you are grateful for. You can use any of the following questions either together, or individually, to help you get started on this journey.

1. What am I learning from my challenges? List a challenging situation, person, or other obstacle and what good things you’re learning from this challenge.
2. Can coping with a difficult situation or person be of benefit to you?
3. Are you learning something new?
4. Is this about the person (you can’t know everything that’s going on with someone) or about me?
5. How will facing this situation help me raise my self-awareness?
6. People I’m thankful for. List 5 people who made your life a little happier today. They could be friends, family, or even strangers!
7. The best part of my day was… Choose one moment of your day that made you happy? Focus on it for 5 minutes, write about it, before you go to sleep.
8. Create a list of supports or supportive people in your life. How can you be grateful for these? To what extent do you take these for granted?

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.