As the Thanksgiving holidays approach, GRATITUDE moves closer to the forefront of our minds. Being thankful has so many benefits – here are 11 that we hope will encourage you to stay grateful all year long!
GRATITUDE…..
#1 – Brings you to the present moment: Being present helps you connect with your authentic self, which makes decision making easier, reduces anxiety and increases clarity and awareness of self & others.
#2 – Shifts your perspective/focus: Feeling grouchy? Actively think about what you’re grateful for, make a list on paper or in your head. Doing this will help shift you out of your “down” mode and into thinking about what you DO have to be thankful for!
#3 – Reduces stress: Recognizing & being thankful for what you DO have, helps ease the pressure on feeling the NEED for something MORE. Being grateful reminds us of the things that we do have and that we might NOT NEED as desperately as we had previously thought. In addition, studies show that gratitude reduces levels of stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
#4 – Increases happiness: Think of something you love – your cat, your lover, your children, your home, chocolate…it can be anything. Being grateful is actively acknowledging the things that make you happy. Thinking happy thoughts makes you happier – simple as that.
#5 – Strengthens relationships: When we are grateful for others, we tend to acknowledge and our express our gratitude more often. This makes our friends, family, co-workers and anyone we relate with feel more appreciated & loved. Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, more appreciative and positive. It helps us make more new friends, deepen our existing relationships, and improve our marriage.
#6 – Aligns priorities: Recognizing what we are truly grateful for, helps us to remember what’s really important to us in life. It takes the focus off of other distractions that can take up our time and energy and reminds us where our focus really deserves to be.
#7 – Makes you healthier: Studies show that keeping a gratitude journal caused participants to report 16% fewer physical symptoms, 19% more time spent exercising, 10% less physical pain, 8% more sleep & 25% increased sleep quality. It also lowered depressive symptoms by 30% or more, for as long as the practice was continued.
#8 – Boosts your career: Grateful people are more social and more like-able, which makes them more likely to network effectively and create helpful work relationships. Because gratitude also strengthens relationships, this leads to career success in the form o
f better teamwork, partnerships, mentorships, and overall communication.
#9 – Develops your personality: Being grateful on a consistent basis makes you more optimistic, less materialistic, more spiritual, less self-centered, and increases your self-esteem! It also increases empathy, reduces feelings of envy, allows you to experience good feelings, and helps you bounce back from stress.
#10 – Helps you to relax: Gratitude can be used as a simple tool to help bring you into a relaxed mode. Meditation has been shown to help reduce stress and increase relaxation, but completely” emptying your mind” can be challenging for those with little experience meditating. Using gratitude as the focus for your meditation can help bring you into a meditative state while keeping the “busy mind” occupied. Simply, set a timer for 5-10 mins, close your eyes and focus on what you are grateful for. Anytime you find yourself thinking of something else, bring 
your thoughts back to gratitude.
#11 – Makes you more resilient: Practicing gratitude regularly requires that we make the conscious choice to focus on what we’re grateful for, over & over again. This type of mental honing, strengthens our minds and our ability to take control in the face of adversity. The long lasting effects of a Gratitude practice will bring us mental strength that will already be there to help us when times get rough.
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