Gratitude Attitude: Embracing Life with Thankfulness

Gratitude is so much more than saying thank you. Being thankful is a way of looking at you, your life and the world around you.

Embracing your life with thankfulness can have a biological effect on your body, therefore behavioral and mental changes also happen. It is no secret that your thoughts and behavior can change you physically. It’s all part of the same energetic system that is you.

There have been many scientific studies based on the effects of consistently being grateful such as:

1. Feeling happier

2. Finding more positivity in life, a better outlook

3. Better sleep, less fatigue

4. Have less illness, stress, anxiety

5. Lower blood pressure

6. Tend to overcome adversity better

7. Less likely to hold grudges and be more forgiving.

8. Tend to build better relationships

So, how do you practice Gratitude? A few ideas:

1. Keep a journal. Write down what you are grateful for.

2. When you open your eyes in the morning, the first thing you do is name 1-3 things you are grateful for.

3. Same with when you are closing your eyes at night, repeat 1-3 things you were grateful for in your day.

4. Practice saying, “Thank you.” Whether it’s someone opens a door for you, or helps you with a grocery bag, or someone made dinner for you. Say the words out loud. Make it a habit.

Speaking of habits, I invite you to practice being thankful for 21 days. Some research states that after doing something for 21 days it can become a habit. What a GREAT habit to start. No matter how you do it, be consistent with practicing gratitude. Maybe even write down or take note of the changes in your mindset, your body, your life, as you continue this practice.

Be grateful for all the “things.” From waking up, to seeing clouds or the sun, to having a bed to sleep in or roof over your head. Maybe it’s being thankful for good shoes or being able to walk without pain. It could be gratefulness for clean water to drink, or water to take a shower in. It could be you are thankful for seeing a blue jay or smelling a new flower. No grateful thought is too small or too big. Being thankful for anything or everything is a beautiful frame of mind to have.

Having the attitude of gratitude can help you change and embrace your life.

THANK YOU for being here.

-Jennifer

*All statements presented here are the personal beliefs of Jennifer Izaguirre w/ABL Healing, LLC

** Thank you for the research help: PositivePsychology.com, MayoClinic.org, Clinical Psychology Review

*** Photo credit Photo by Mark Casey on Unsplash