Have you ever sat and wondered why feeding the stray dogs outside your home felt so good? Or giving some extra money to the house help made you happy for days altogether? When we do good and focus on the good things in our lives, we rewire our brains to look for the positive. Similarly, when we feel grateful, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and wellbeing. This is why gratitude feels so good.
Gratitude is the practise of acknowledging and appreciating the good things in our lives, even in the midst of hardship. Research has shown that cultivating gratitude can profoundly impact our mental and physical wellbeing, helping us become more resilient and better able to cope with adversity.
It is not just a feeling, gratitude is a mindset. Research has shown that gratitude can positively impact our mental health. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who wrote down things they were grateful for experienced more positive emotions, felt more alive, slept better and had fewer physical complaints than those who wrote down things that annoyed them. Indeed, cultivating a gratitude mindset has numerous benefits for our mental and physical wellbeing. Join us as we explore the power of gratitude in overcoming adversity and how we can cultivate gratitude to help navigate difficult times.
Incredible power and benefits of gratitude
Practising gratitude can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression by shifting our focus from negative thoughts and emotions to positive ones. It can increase our levels of happiness, positivity and overall life satisfaction.
Additionally, studies have shown that regularly practising gratitude can improve our immune system, increase our energy levels and even improve our sleep. By steadily training ourselves to see the good in every situation, we become more resilient and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
Ultimately, cultivating a gratitude mindset can help us lead more fulfilling, joyful lives.
Gratitude can help us overcome adversity
When we experience adversity, it can be easy to focus on what we have lost or what we lack. But if we cultivate gratitude, we can shift our perspective and focus on what we still have and what we can be thankful for. This perspective shift can help us see our challenges in a new light and approach them with a more positive mindset.
Research too has shown that people who practise gratitude are more resilient in the face of adversity. By focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, we build up our emotional reserves and develop the strength and resilience needed to overcome challenges.
So next time you receive rejection of some kind, try and remember how great the last time you received an acceptance was. Or simply take a break from work and go for a walk in the park to be around nature; you will soon find things you are grateful for like your health and family. This way, you can focus on the blessings that surround you, making you more empowered, resilient and capable of overcoming challenges.
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