What Are The Benefits Of Gratitude? Plus 4 Ways To Practice Being Grateful

What if I told you the concept of gratitude holds the key to you living your best life. In fact, your level of gratitude in life can have a direct impact on your physical, emotional and mental well-being. 

But as is the case in many of our lives, we drown in distraction. Appreciation for what we have in the present is fairly nonexistent.  It’s always about the next assignment.  Or the next thing we must acquire.

Meanwhile we rarely stop to contemplate and appreciate what got us through the last day. The last week or the last month.  And so on.

Well…it’s time to dust-off those appreciation skills. 

Here are six benefits of gratitude that will undoubtedly enhance your perspective on the importance of being grateful.  Followed by four ideas on “how to practice being grateful.”

What Are The Benefits Of Gratitude?

Grateful People Have Peace Of Mind & Spirit

I can personally speak to this because of the journey I’ve come through.  Peace of mind was my “achilles heel” before I found God’s path.  

But then, slowly but surely, as I began to get a sense of God’s bigger picture in my life — I gained mental stability and security.  Which gradually morphed into greater closeness and trust with my Creator.  

What a process like this does is put life into perspective.  Beginning to understand God’s point-of-view brings a great sense of humility.  And in turn, a great deal of gratitude.

Thus, what gratitude is — is a sense that you are not the sole cause of what is good in your life.  It’s a feeling that credit should be given to “someone” outside of yourself.  

As a God-fearing person, I am grateful to God continually.  And as such, there’s the great benefit of spiritual peace and stability that permeates every facet of my life.  All due to my realization that I am not the end-all-be-all.  Or in other words, I am not the center of my universe.  

And again , for that peace of mind and spirit, I am very thankful.

Grateful People Are Happier 

Gratitude is a positive emotion.  The essence of being grateful is a deep appreciation for what one has.  Not for what one wants.

This understanding, if thought about deeply, should be a game-changer for anyone.  Or better yet, a life-changer.

This means that if you merely contemplate and appreciate the fact that you are breathing and are alive — that in itself is a reason for cheers and celebration.  Now imagine the myriad of other gifts you have that are readily taken for granted.  

To truly be aware of your lot in life and the SOURCE of your blessings is the root of happiness.  There is simply so much material everyday to be grateful for.  And to continually add “logs of gratitude” to the happiness fire. 

As you can see, the bar for having a grateful attitude is not a high one.  You can cultivate a spirit of gratitude even in the most difficult of circumstances.  For one, you can simply be grateful to be alive.  And appreciate the fact that you always have the ability to learn from your mistakes and redeem yourself. 

So even in tough times, a grateful attitude can provide lightheartedness and good vibes.  If you truly humble yourself, assess and appreciate what you already have.  

Grateful People Are Not Resentful Or Envious 

By definition, if you are a grateful person you appreciate your lot in life.  And you understand the magnitude of the gifts that you possess in your everyday life.

From just being able to open your eyes every morning and breathe.  To being able to see, walk, taste, hear…etc.  

A basic acknowledgment of your everyday blessings will ward off any ideas of resentment toward anyone.

I know firsthand how the mind can play tricks on us and make us feel inadequate in comparison to others.  But I reel myself back every time by appreciating the ways that God has blessed my life.  And one big way is by affording me a stable home life.  

There’s nothing anyone has that can unearth feelings of envy or jealousy in my life. All due to  — as I pray to God regularly — being deeply aware and thus very grateful for my lot in life.

Grateful People Have Better Relationships 

This one is a no-brainer.  Think about it.  How would you feel if someone is constantly expressing gratitude to you and around you?

Not only would they seem engaging but quite welcoming as well. 

Saying “thank you” enhances comfort in relationships. And gives off an uplifting vibe to those you relate with. Dare I say, in the context of a workplace setting, regularly verbalizing gratitude can boost the performance of coworkers.  Or employees, if you’re the boss.

Overall, expressing gratitude in relationships is a wonderful mood enhancer and a gateway to more meaningful engagement.

Grateful People Are Resilient 

If you are continuously grateful for your lot in life, you are exponentially more resilient than those that are not.

I see this at-work repeatedly.  The people who complain and moan the loudest are usually the ones with a hyper ego and self-centered perspective.  How the world affects them and them only is the center of their worldview.

And as such, they take for granted and don’t contemplate the many blessings right in front of them.  Often they become engulfed in their struggles and let themselves fall deeper into despair.

On the other hand, a spirit of gratitude provides perspective in difficult times. A sense of appreciation for what/who makes your life hum smoothly is uplifting. I personally take time to thank God for my wife and children everyday.

Thus, appreciating the “healthy” things that keep your life emotionally stable is a good thing.  Even if it’s a pet.  Or for some(like me), it could be thanking someone for crafting an awesome meal.

The point is — being actively aware of the many blessings in your life will better help you cope with painful experiences. As well as, life in general.

Grateful People Are Generally Healthier 

As mentioned previously, gratitude is an emotional state.  And as such, to live a grateful life is to live a life full of contentment.  It is to live a satisfying existence.  Often full of energy, optimism and goodwill.

All of the above attributes have been shown to lead to better health outcomes over a lifetime for those that imbibe them. 

But don’t take my word for it.

In 2001, the results of a study seeking to research the process of aging and Alzheimer’s Disease were published.  The subjects were Catholic Nuns ranging from ages 75 to 102.

What made this study fascinating was that included in the research was an analysis of personal autobiographies written by each nun.  The awesome thing was that these personal accounts of the Nuns’ lives were written when they were in their 20’s.  

Apparently, sixty years earlier their “Mother Superior” had asked the incoming Nuns to write about their lives and why they wanted to become Nuns.

The researchers received access to these autobiographical letters in the 1990’s.

And among other things, what they found was an interesting correlation between Nuns that displayed positive emotions in their autobiography versus those that didn’t.  Nuns whose writings displayed optimism, gratitude, love, hope and other positive emotions — were recorded to have lived seven years longer on average.  

So there you have it.  Proof-positive results of what should be fairly evident even without the benefit of an official study.  

And that is that health benefits do indeed arise from the implementation of positive vibes in your life.  And having a grateful disposition is front and center as one of the leading attributes that leads to better overall health outcomes in a lifetime.

How To Practice Being Grateful 

Like many things, being grateful is a state of mind.  Therefore, in order to boost your gratitude quotient you have to think deeply.  Here are four ideas to think about on your way to mastering gratitude.

Gratitude State-Of-Mind(Part 1)

First, steadfastly decide that being grateful is important to you.  Why? Because things we humans consider to be important we pay attention to a little closer.  Whether it’s a pet. Or maybe your kids.  We actively notice and engage with those things innately important to us.  Become acutely aware of ALL the things to be grateful for in your life.  Go crazy, the possibilities are endless.  And you’ll  find that once gratitude becomes innately important to you,  you’ll become hyper aware of all new opportunities to be grateful instantly.

Act Grateful

Allow your behavior to influence your state of mind.  Even if initially you don’t feel particularly grateful — act like it.  Make a concerted effort to think grateful thoughts.  To act in a grateful manner. And to communicate words of gratitude.  Focus intently on this assignment for about a week.  And notice how rather seamlessly your spirit catches up with your grateful actions.  This behavioral approach works with many other good habits you may want to adopt.  (e.g., you want to be happy? Act happy for a period of time.)

Gratitude Diary

I am a big fan of this approach for anything.  I like to write my thoughts down on any new idea that pops into my head.  So here, I am suggesting you adopt the same approach and just write down things to be thankful for.  Write them down randomly as you go through your day.  Ask yourself every hour, “what am I grateful for right now.” Then write it down. Seeing your list grow will crystallize in your conscience all the things you have to be grateful for.  In addition, your diary can serve as an instrument of inspiration when you’re not having your best day. It’s a win-win all around.

Gratitude State-Of-Mind(Part 2)

In a very foundational way, there’s no reason for us to be here.  God needs nothing.  It is truly a benevolent act of kindness that we exist.  This idea alone should make everything else that you experience in this lifetime seem like the proverbial “cherry on top of the ice cream.”  To grasp this concept imagine if one day, someway, somehow you became homeless.  Then imagine that just as unexpectedly you were given millions of dollars.  And now ponder all the blessings that would arise in your life from this gift.  Although not a perfect analogy, God’s gift of life is exponentially more far-reaching and profound than the latter example.  Your level of gratitude is truly limitless when you adopt this way of thinking about your Creator’s unabashed benevolence toward you.

Conclusion

The last word is — many people spend a lifetime trying to figure out the key to happiness.  Some strive for material things. Others strive to stockpile accomplishments.  

But all along the answer has been right under their nose.  GRATITUDE!!!

More than anything, a grateful person is an extremely happy person.  You might say “gratitude” is actually the missing ingredient for achieving true happiness in all our lives.  

Here’s praying that many of my fellow brethren are able to recognize this.