Gratitude for Greater Happiness
In a world full of modern life challenges it is easy to overlook our blessings and get into the habit of complaining. Being grateful is one of the techniques you can practice to achieve greater happiness in life.
A study of group of psychologists from University of California and University of Miami shows that being grateful makes us happier in life. The 10 week study of 196 people involves one group who are asked to write down things for which they are grateful and another group to write down hassles that happen to them in those weeks ( i.e traffic on the way to work, a colleague who does not appreciate you). The study reports that the ‘gratitude’ group becomes 25% happier than the ‘hassle’ group.
Showing gratitude is an act of kindness to others and even to yourself. By saying ‘Thank you’ we allow ourselves to fully appreciate what life has provided us, either big or small. It is not only a way of appreciating others but also a way of helping ourselves into more positive mental health through happiness.
So how can we practice gratitude? Here are some tips:
Keep a gratitude journal: Everyday find one thing you are thankful for and write it down on your diary. It does not have to be something big. You can write something as simple as ‘I am grateful for spending time with my family’ or ‘I am grateful because I have a job to go to’ or even ‘I am grateful because I am alive’. Sometimes I even find myself writing mundane things such as ‘ I am grateful for spending time with my dog’ or ‘I am grateful for the fun spent playing poker with my granddad!”
Do a gratitude meditation or a Thank You prayer: The purpose of a gratitude meditation or a Thank You prayer is to radiance our feelings our appreciation to the universe. Personally, I find praying at night very helpful, not just for the sake of my religion but also for the sake of my spirituality. I find that after I pray or meditate, there is always a smile that gleams on my face. I...