How to be more grateful — 5 ideas for gratitude and happiness
Gratitude has many proven benefits — among them: making you happier and healthier. You want to unleash these superpowers? Then try these tips on how to be more grateful!
1. Write a gratitude journal
Take a few minutes — either every day or every week — and write down what you are grateful for. Try to be specific: the compliment from your boss, how it feels to come home to your loved ones, the stranger who picked up the coins you lost. In the beginning, it might be difficult to single out what you are grateful for. But keeping it up will make you happier — as studies show.
2. Count your gratitude on ten fingers
You are not the writing type? Then you might prefer the “ten finger gratitude exercise” by Oxford clinical psychologist Mark Williams. Count ten things you are grateful for every day — one for each finger. It will be challenging to find not only one but ten things to be thankful for each day. This will, however, train you to step away from the big picture and look at the small joys in your life.
3. Write gratitude letters
Gratitude is even better when shared with others. A tried and tested way for this are letters of gratitude.
If that feels too pompous or old-fashioned to you, start small. Thank your friend for listening to your sorrows with a short text message. Send an email to your old teacher and thank her for pushing you to do your homework. Or write a little postcard to the old woman who always accepts your packages. Those little surprises will not only make the receivers happier — but also you.
You should also consider sending your partner a gratitude letter once in a while: Research suggests that gratitude is one of the key ingredients of a happy marriage.
4. Do without something in order to be more grateful for it
Humans can adapt to pretty much anything. Unfortunately, this also applies to the good things. In order to appreciate all the warm showers, chocolate bars and comfy car rides in your life, try to do without them for a few days. You will soon develop a new sense of gratitude.
5. Be grateful for bad experiences
Can you be grateful for a period of unemployment, an accident or the death of a loved one? Probably not. Some things in life are just terrible. But still, they shape you, let you learn something or appreciate what you have more. Looking back at hard times with the focus on what you gained, despite all the deprivation, can help you to find closure — and live on more happily.
Originally published at blog.delightex.com on January 13, 2016.
