Expressing gratitude is one of the most fulfilling things you can do that is free. It can give you happiness that you can multiply a hundredfold. But not only do you make yourself and others happy, you do something great to your health too. Indeed, expressing gratitude is very popular in the area of positive psychology. So let’s take a deeper look on expressing gratitude and the things to express gratitude today.
To start with, why express gratitude? Expressing gratitude is a generous act. You express your thankfulness to someone or something that has done you good. By expressing gratitude, happiness is a result. Your mood lifts and it can last for several days. It can improve your disposition. It can influence your outlook in life. When you are happy, everything is brighter and lighter. You smile more often, you laugh a lot and these can do wonders to your health. By expressing gratitude, you gain happiness and in turn mental and physical improvement.
But those mental and physical improvements are not limited to your body. The people you thank for feel happy too. You are putting a smile on someone’s face and you are contributing to that person’s health. It’s a snowball effect too. Once you have expressed your gratitude to someone, anyone, they are bound to help more people. Helping will be much easier to them when they feel that their efforts are appreciated and not taken for granted.
Since expressing gratitude can inadvertently lead to happiness and a positive outlook, the more negative thoughts are pushed behind. Studies show that with expressing gratitude, painful events or memories do not pop up as much. This led to the conclusion that expressing gratitude may contribute to emotional healing. Who knew there was so much more to being thankful and expressing it?
What are you waiting for? Express yourself! You may not be comfortable with expressing gratitude at first. The day of writing ‘thank you’ letters for gifts is said to be long past. However, that style is coming back today. If you feel uncomfortable, start by faking it at first. You can write your thank you notes on a journal and gradually, you will find yourself expressing your gratitude quite easily and sincerely.
There are a lot of things to be thankful for. Start the habit by writing 5 things to express gratitude today. The key is to be random and personal. You can do this the moment you wake up from sleep – and start it by being thankful that you woke up to this beautiful day. You can also end your day by thinking of 5 things you are grateful for the whole day. While you can be as random as “thank you for the sale at Barneys” or “I am thankful for the flowers that looked especially beautiful at the park”, don’t forget to be thankful for the most overlooked parts of our lives. Family, friends, house, and health more often than not are overlooked – just because they are constant. The fact that they are always there may lead you to take them for granted. So be personal in expressing gratitude to the random and consistent.
Have you thought of the 5 things you are grateful for today? Maybe you can start off by thanking the one who gave you that smile? How about thanking the one who opened the door for you? The taxi driver who delivered you into work safely? Overtime, you will be able to find things to be grateful for easier. You will be able to reflect deeply too on your top 5.
