Gratitude

One of our core values at Happy Coffee is gratitude. We are constantly grateful for both the big and the small things in our life.

This morning while searching for blog topics, I had two nudges in my inbox. One from the Positive Psychology Program about gratitude, and the other from edX The Science of Happiness course entitled Gratitude: An Umbrella Strategy for Achieving Happiness…lightbulb!

Gratitude is something I had built into me (well probably it was taught by my amazing mother) from such an early age it seemed like it was always there.

If I look at my life there are two different types of story that you could tell, one which talks of poverty and hardships. The other of love and an amazingly lucky life growing up on Vancouver Island in the most beautiful place imaginable.

I’ve never looked at my life through any other lens but one of gratitude, which means I never actually saw the poverty and hardships, only the beauty and how lucky we were.

After reading Shawn Achor’s, The Happiness Advantage I was amazed at how it clarified and described something I had felt all my life. That being grateful is the way in which we become happier. And I was lucky enough to have this as one principle of my life from a very early age. It finally explained why everyone always thought I was so happy!

One of the best ways to build gratitude into your life is to make it a habit. Happy Coffee was created, to help people express gratitude, or pay it forward in a world where you might not always have the time.

So what are some of the benefits to gratitude?

Physical benefits: reduced blood pressure, reduction in stress, fewer discomforts with physical ailments (rashes, muscle tension or headaches). (edX Course, The Science of Happiness). There’s studies currently on reduction of cardiovascular events, heart rates and telomeres

Social Benefits: People who showed more gratitude in a study, had more friends in the future. (edX Course, The Science of Happiness)

Relationship benefits: people who show more gratitude to their partners reported greater relationship satisfaction (edX Course, The Science of Happiness)

And from Positive Psychology Programme this morning, the #1 thing that holds people back from feeling great….Not being grateful.

So today why not try one of these easy ways to be more grateful, their scientifically proven to improve your health, mental health, happiness and so much more!

1. 3 Gratitudes — we love doing this every day. Write down 3 small things that you are grateful for each day for 30 days.
2. Journal your gratitudes — when you have an experience for which you are grateful write a journal entry.
3. Start your mornings with grateful emails. Every day write a note, email or message to someone, telling them what specifically you are grateful for.

We started Happy Coffee to help people not only create grateful emails, but send grateful gifts as well. Try one of the above for 30 days, you’ll find you are a more positive person at the end of them!

We’d love you to share your gratitude stories with us — via social or at www.happy-coffee-co.uk/nominate.