Do you sometimes feel life is overwhelming? Do you complain a lot? Do you feel like things are getting on top of you and you’re struggling to cope? Yes – life can be very challenging. It can be your job that gives you sleepless nights (or no job if you’re struggling to find one). You might be finding it hard to cope with bills or debt; you might experience problems with your family, neighbors, boss, or coworkers. Or you might be completely on your own. Everyone has negative thoughts and it’s perfectly natural. Our brains are designed that way – we seem to naturally focus on negatives, often ignoring the positive aspects of our lives.
Life can be very difficult. And it’s natural to feel stressed, anxious, and depressed. But we don’t have to feel that way. I admit – I complain a lot. But I’m doing my best to try and change it. Sometimes we just need to stop and reflect for a while upon what we’ve got. I make an effort to slow down for a bit and appreciate what I’ve been gifted with. There are much less fortunate than us. Many would love to be in our position. Always. Too many. Of course – if you recently experienced a very traumatic time in your life – like a bereavement – maybe it’s not the right time for this yet. But for most of us – this is where the power of practicing gratitude will help.
I went through some tough times recently and it didn’t break me – it inspired me. The key is to take life’s struggles not as a curse but as challenges, however hard it is. It takes a lot of time, practice, and patience. I have to admit – I’m not great at this. But I’m trying and I’m learning. It’s not easy – it takes practice and time. It helps to get through hard times eventually. Studies show that people who practice gratitude regularly have better mental health, sleep better, are happier, more compassionate, and kinder. It also benefits the immune system – people who make it a habit get sick less often. There’s science behind everything here. Practicing gratitude regularly actually can improve greatly the overall quality of your life. It positively affects your mental health and better mental health contributes to better overall health.
The benefits of practicing gratitude include better emotional health – feeling more relaxed, being more resilient, forming happier memories. It reduces anxiety, improves coping mechanisms, and helps induce relaxation. It can change our personality – make us less jealous, less greedy and materialistic – by reducing the need to compare ourselves to others and freeing us from insecurities within our minds (which can be a result of having unsupportive parents or growing up in poverty), less self-centered, more optimistic, improve our self-esteem and help us be more spiritual. It can improve our physical health – sleep quality, stronger immune system, makes us exercise more, and gives us more energy. Improved state of mind promotes better overall health. Improvement of our social skills – leading to better relationships with people – being more friendly and kinder. It can even help us perform better at work because it improves our decision-making skills and productivity. This ritual, practiced regularly helps us improve interpersonal relationships – personal and professional, brings a reduction in aggression, improves self-esteem, increases mental strength, and resilience. Don’t look at your struggles as obstacles – think of how strong you are to be able to overcome them. Sometimes life is just too much! It’s overwhelming and you might feel like you just can’t cope anymore. Sometimes it seems like it’s just one thing after another and you feel you’re helpless.
Try embracing the feeling of gratitude for a few minutes every day. This will help to reprogram your brain to gradually adapt feelings of appreciation as something natural. Always try to see a light at the end of a tunnel – there is always a way out of a negative situation. This will eventually stop the negative thoughts and bring you more inner peace – shift your thoughts from pain and hurt. You might want to try writing down things you are grateful for – regularly but not necessarily every day – it can be done even for as little as once a week. Studies show that this technique is very effective at increasing happiness levels and distracting your thoughts from negativity. Talk about gratitude to others, encourage – don’t patronize. Point out things they can be grateful for. According to studies – writing a letter to a person you are grateful for or telling them about it personally increases your level of gratitude, If you have supportive family members or friends – spend time with them. If not – make more effort to meet new, positive people. Thank people who inspire you.
Volunteering for a charity is another way of increasing the feeling of gratitude. It involves helping those disadvantaged and makes us appreciate what we have more. Try being grateful for the ordinary things in everyday life – the ones we usually take for granted: food on your plate, the roof over your head (no matter how small – some people don’t even have that much), kind people you meet, good weather, etc. Writing it all down and going through what you wrote will help you on the days when you’re feeling low. Starting a gratitude blog might be a good idea! Sharing your thoughts will not only help you but will inspire others and help them. Enjoy nature and be grateful for the connection; appreciate the love you receive from your family and friends. Practice small acts of kindness every day – even if it’s just picking up a snail from the path to prevent it from getting hurt. Put your love in the food you prepare every day. Say kind words to people you meet – a compliment might make someone’s day! Appreciate your pets and the affection they show you (even if they are notorious shoe eaters like my dogs!)
Do something nice to people who are kind to you. Be kind and grateful to people whose services make your life easier every day – the postman, the cashier in the supermarket, the cleaning lady in the office, the teacher, the bin men. Write positive reviews for the services you order. Turn challenges into opportunities. Learn new things, improve yourself, and appreciate your developing knowledge. Help people more – this can make a huge difference in a vulnerable person’s life and boost somebody’s confidence. Focus on your strengths but make improvements to your weaknesses. And be thankful for both. Before eating a meal – take a minute to express gratitude for it. You don’t need to say a prayer if you’re not religious. Just appreciate it.
Appreciate the people who work every day to produce your food and deliver it to you. Appreciate the ones who make your clothes and things you use every day. Try seeing your life as a glass that is half full – not half empty. Meditate (or pray if you are religious). Try looking back at the end of each day and remembering at least one thing to be grateful for. Don’t force yourself – if you can’t do it every day – do it once a week. You might not be able to focus on it every day – it takes time. Reflecting on things you feel grateful for is a form of meditation, just without focusing on your breathing. Everyone can do it, regardless of their age. This will take time and a lot of practice but eventually will make you a better and happier person. As I mentioned before – according to psychologists – our brains automatically tend to focus on the negatives and ignore the positive experiences. But eventually, this can change. Consistency is the key. A 2003 study by Emmons and McCullough showed that keeping a written record of what you are grateful for daily – helps you live a happier lifestyle, exercise more, be more optimistic, more successful in achieving your goals, sleep better, and have a better approach to life. How underestimated the power of gratitude is! Being thankful can help you achieve happiness. Studies show that people who practiced gratitude were 25% happier and more optimistic about their lives than people who didn’t. “Gratitude” comes from the Latin word meaning “thankful”. The more you practice – the more things you start noticing that you took for granted. Contemplate on individual blessings and how they changed your life for better. Use different techniques – this will help you not to get bored. You might sometimes write a journal, other times talk about it or express it through art.
Writing a gratitude letter even without sending it still has benefits for your body and mind. Just 15 minutes a week can help you achieve results. You might want to start by naming just one thing you are grateful for, every day. It gradually rewires your brain into positive thinking. After just Bliss Planet 14 a few months you will start perceiving every day as a positive. So far there have been more than 40 studies on gratitude and its benefits. According to some – it might even have the potential of increasing the lifespan. Positive emotions and optimism have been associated with longer life expectancy. The emotions persist long after the session is completed. This gradually changes the way our brains work. We start feeling gratitude more naturally, frequently, and more intensively. It usually takes a few months but eventually, you learn the ability to self – generate the wonderful feeling of gratitude. The world would be a much better place if more people chose to practice gratitude regularly. People would be kinder and more willing to help others. Spread the message about it. The world faces so many problems today – wars, poverty, corruption, cruelty to animals, and fellow human beings. Today’s world desperately needs more kindness. We would all benefit from it. Try it and see how it works for you, your loved ones and friends, and how it transforms your life. You have nothing to lose – but a lot to gain.
Dorota Drosio
REFERENCES: www.positivepsychologyprogram. com, www.tinybuddha.com, www.chopra.com, www.happify.com
This great article is featured in this edition of Bliss Planet Digital magazine.
Author: Dorota Drosio
Dorota Drosio MHS, CN, CPT is an ethical vegan, certified horticulturist, herbalist, nutritionist and a personal trainer. Animal rights activist and a mum. Graduated Warsaw University of Life Sciences with a Master's Degree in Horticulture specializing in medicinal plants. Soon - starting work towards her doctorate. Currently working as a vegetarian and vegan Nutritionist and PersonalTrainer - offering online consultations, meal and exercise plans, nutritional, supplement and herbal treatment advice. For any enquiries - please visit: thefitvegan.co.uk or email contact@TheFitVegan.co.uk
