Gratitude helps us to perceive and connect with something beyond ourselves. Indeed, in positive psychology research, gratitude is closely linked to joy and happiness. It helps people to experience more positive emotions, to enjoy more the good experiences, to have better health, to more easily reconcile failures and to build better relationships.
Every day we have at least one reason to discern the presence of the good in our lives, to feel grateful, and if we to do it daily both our mental and physical health improve.
7 reasons to say “thank you” every day
-It opens the door for more relationships. Our life has better prospects when we recognize the contribution of others. According to recent research when we often use the word “thank you”, they not only consider us feel more polite and nice but also they want to get to know us better.
-Our health improves. Grateful people suffer from less pain, feel healthier and live longer.
-We feel better psychologically. University of California psychology professor Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., who has conducted a number of related studies, argues that the feeling of gratitude limits many “toxic” emotions such as envy, resentment, frustration, anxiety and regret.
-We become less aggressive. Grateful people maintain a dignified and positive attitude toward others even if they treated them rudely.
-We sleep better at the night. It’s sufficient to write or think about all the reasons that make us feel grateful 15 minutes before we turn off the light.
Grateful people are less competitive
-We have more self-esteem. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the feeling of gratitude increases the self-esteem of athletes, which is essential for good performance. Similar surveys have shown that grateful people are less competitive than those who have more. Instead of spending their mental energy to spoil them, they recognize their worth and strive to become better themselves.
-We gain more mental power. For many years, psychologists have argued that gratitude not only helps reduce stress but also plays a big role in overcoming deep traumatic events.
The feeling that became a habit
It’s not easy to be grateful all the time. But just at the moment when frustration overwhelms us, gratitude can offer us what we need most: perspective. Knowing that you have so many obligations to face and so many difficulties to overcome, when you focus your attention on a smile, a “thank you”, a gentle act, you see the world with more will and courage.
