Gratitude, The Game-Changing Art Of Appreciation

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When put into practice, gratitude can act as a one-way ticket out of negativity.

The benefits will truly start to snowball when this art of appreciation is mastered.

The results include improvements to the social, psychological and physical state of the individual.

The benefits of being grateful however, will only occur if the individual is making the conscious decision to implement both positivity and gratitude into their daily lives.

When stating what one is grateful for, it is important to elaborate in detail rather than compiling a list of superficial things that are actually quite meaningless.

Robert Emmons, expert on the science behind gratitude, told the Greater Good Magazine, that in order to reap the wholistic benefits of being grateful, an individual must commit themselves fully to the process by being honest, deep and consistent.

In practicing the art of being thankful, they will strengthen their neural pathways and essentially rewire their brain until gratitude becomes second nature.

According to leading psychologist Dr Christian Jarrett, by triggering our ‘happy hormones’ (oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine) more often, we are encouraging our brain to approach situations with a positive outlook rather than a negative outlook.

Blonde woman smiling while holding tea cup
Emma Seppälä revealed that there are health benefits in being consistently grateful.

PsychologyToday’s Emma Seppälä, Science Director of Stanford University’s Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research revealed that in being consistently grateful, the following scientifically proven benefits will occur. 

Social

  • Heightens social intelligence through developing the ability to have a deeper understanding of another person’s experience
  • Strengthens relationships as they are able to create deeper, meaningful connections
  • Improves romantic relationships as the they harness a deeper satisfaction of their partner 

Physical

  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Strengthens immune system
  • Improves quality and duration of sleep

Psychological

  • Enables longer-lasting mental happiness and satisfaction
  • Reduces one’s sense of materialism
  • Increases resilience
  • Encourages a deeper sense of altruism
  • Creates better decision-making skills

Practicing gratitude can manifest in many forms.

Writing

Close up of journal being written in with pencil on grass
And keeping a gratitude journal is the perfect excuse to go out and buy some new stationery and to express your gratitude.

Writing is a therapeutic way to express gratitude.

Whether it be scribbling down a list of 5 things right before starting the day or writing out a heartfelt passage in a gratitude journal before bed, the main thing is that these thoughts are sincere.

And keeping a gratitude journal is the perfect excuse to go out and buy some new stationery.

Meditation

Brunette meditating on exercise mat on the beach.
Meditation is another great form of expressing love towards the people and experiences we are grateful for.

Gratitude meditation is another great form of expressing love towards the people and experiences we are grateful for.

The period of time where one is consciously extending these positive thoughts in meditation is a great daily activity that will train the mind and positively rewire the brain.

Apps

There are several apps that can aid in the process of maintaining grateful thoughts.

Grateful, is an app that uses a prompt for people who have trouble writing straight off the bat.

Another useful app is Gratitude.

Gratitude is also a journaling app but provides free coaching as well features such as daily quotes and reminders. 

Thank You Messages

Thank you card layout on white desk
Thank you messages are a great way to show your gratitude to someone.

Although is a little bit old school, writing a letter or card and sending it to someone that deserves to be thanked is another fantastic way to show gratitude.

It shows that in a time where shooting a quick text or email is as effortless as blinking, the person has gone through the effort of physically writing out a thank you note.

On another level, a great way to sincerely thank someone is to physically see them in person and thank them.

There is nothing quite like a face to face conversation to relay your inner thoughts.

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