THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Get your happiness on!

Why practice gratitude?

Did you know that according to positive psychology, research shows that gratitude can:

1. Improve your physical health.
   People who exhibit gratitude report fewer aches and pains, a general feeling of health, more regular exercise, and more frequent checkups with their doctor than those who don’t.
   
   
2. Improve your psychological health.
   Grateful people enjoy higher well-being and happiness and suffer from reduced symptoms of depression.
   
   
3. Enhance empathy.
   Those who show their gratitude are less likely to seek revenge against others and more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, with sensitivity and empathy.
   
   
4. Improve your sleep.
   Practicing gratitude regularly can help you sleep longer and better.
   
   
5. Enhance your self-esteem.
   People who are grateful have increased self-esteem, partly due to their ability to appreciate other peoples’ accomplishments.
   
   
6. Increase in mental strength.
   Grateful people have an advantage in overcoming trauma and enhanced resilience, helping them to bounce back from highly stressful situations. (*Morin, 2014).

How to practice gratefulness?

The Gratitude Jar exercise.

The gratitude jar is a stunningly simple exercise that can have profound effects on your well-being and outlook. It only requires a few ingredients: a jar (a box can also work); a ribbon, stickers, glitter, or whatever else you like to decorate the jar; paper and a pen or pencil for writing your gratitude notes; and gratitude!

Find a jar or box.

1. Decorate the jar however you wish. You can tie a ribbon around the jar’s neck, put stickers on the sides, use clear glue and glitter to make it sparkle, paint it, keep it simple, or do whatever else you can think of to make it a pleasing sight.
   
   
2. This is the most important step, which will be repeated every day. Think of at least three things throughout your day that you are grateful for. It can be something as benign as a coffee at your favorite place, or as grand as the love of your significant other or dear friend. Do this every day, write down what you are grateful for on little slips of paper and fill the jar.
   
   
3. Over time, you will find that you have a jar full of a myriad of reasons to be thankful for what you have and enjoy the life you are living. It also will cultivate a practice of expressing thanks.
   If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, take a few notes out of the jar to remind yourself of who, and what is good in your life.

Let me know how you like the exercise and send me pictures on your gratitude jar on Instagram with the tag #gratefulnesswildgrace !


To your inner peace and joy,

KIM XX