Scientific studies have shown that gratitude (being thankful) is a simple, effective psychological tool for achieving happiness. Do not be fooled by its simplicity; gratitude can be very powerful.
Often, especially when things are not great, it is easy to think there is nothing to be grateful for. This can happen when you look only for “big” things to be thankful for and, in the process, miss seeing the lesser things. While you should not completely ignore big things, looking also for “small” things to be grateful for is very useful. As you may have noticed in the example, gratitude doesn’t have to be for only major things. Being grateful for simple, everyday things can be very useful in boosting your happiness. It can be as simple as being grateful for receiving a smile at the supermarket.
You may need to make extra effort to find things to be grateful for, as your mind may have gotten used to taking things for granted. When using gratitude, you should be creative. You don’t always have to choose the same things daily, such as “I am grateful for my loving family.” If you keep saying the same things every day (e.g. loving family), your mind may not “learn” to look for other things to be grateful for. On different days, try to look for as many new, small things to be thankful for as possible. It will make your gratitude exercise more interesting.
However, when looking for things to be grateful for, there are a few things you need to be careful about. You should not excessively focus on being thankful to people to whom you may feel obligated, either emotionally or materially (e.g., someone who has lent you money). I am not saying that you should not acknowledge such persons. However, doing so excessively may bring your mood down, as you may feel constantly indebted to those people and develop a sense of helplessness.
It’s also important not to let gratitude be about being happy about others’ misfortunes. (e.g. “I am grateful that I am not as poor as my neighbour.”). That would make having gratitude a negative exercise. Instead, you should just be grateful for good things that have happened to yourself without comparing them to those less fortunate than yourself.
Some might find it helpful to write these thoughts of gratitude in a notebook or diary (“gratitude journal”). At times, you might even be able to express gratitude directly to someone (e.g., “Thank you for visiting me; you made me feel better.”).
Remembering to be grateful can be challenging, and you may need to develop a way to remind yourself. One approach is to make it a regular habit at an easy-to-remember time, such as when in bed at night before falling asleep. Another approach is to set a daily reminder in your phone calendar to prompt yourself at a convenient time to be grateful, perhaps with a screen message: “Gratitude Time!” As you regularly practice gratitude, your mind will view the world less negatively.
As mentioned before, do not dismiss this psychological tool simply because it appears very simple. In reality, it can be a very powerful force in changing how you think.
Now it’s my time to practice gratitude. I am very grateful that you are visiting this website and that I can share ideas about how to find happiness with you.day-to-day happiness. Let me give you an example.
Imagine that a person, whom we will call Mark, has severe arthritis that limits his mobility and makes it difficult for him to venture out of his house. The disease makes Mark feel very low and despondent.
However, one day he managed to take a very short walk down the street where he lives. It was not a very long walk, but it still got him out of the house. Later that day, he also got a phone call from his friend Sam. It was a brief call, but a nice one nonetheless.
That evening, Mark started getting depressed about his arthritis. He felt that the world was all doom and gloom.
At this point, Mark decided to use the “gratitude” method and look for small things to be grateful for.
He said to himself, “Today, I am grateful that I was able to do a short walk in my street and enjoy the outdoors.” Another thing that I am thankful for is the phone call that my friend Sam made to me. It was great chatting with him, and it made me feel better.”
This simple act of gratitude for otherwise seemingly small events elevated Mark’s mood.
As you may have noticed in the example, gratitude doesn’t have to be for only major things. Being grateful for simple, everyday things can be very useful in boosting your happiness. It can be as simple as being grateful for receiving a smile at the supermarket.
You may need to make extra effort to find things to be grateful for, as your mind may have gotten used to taking things for granted. When using gratitude, you should be creative. You don’t always have to choose the same things daily, such as “I am grateful for my loving family.” If you keep saying the same things every day (e.g. loving family), your mind may not “learn” to look for other things to be grateful for. On different days, try to look for as many new, small things to be thankful for as possible. It will make your gratitude exercise more interesting.
However, when looking for things to be grateful for, there are a few things you need to be careful about. You should not excessively focus on being thankful to people to whom you may feel obligated, either emotionally or materially (e.g., someone who has lent you money). I am not saying that you should not acknowledge such persons. However, doing so excessively may bring your mood down, as you may feel constantly indebted to those people and develop a sense of helplessness.
It’s also important not to let gratitude be about being happy about others’ misfortunes. (e.g. “I am grateful that I am not as poor as my neighbour.”). That would make having gratitude a negative exercise. Instead, you should just be grateful for good things that have happened to yourself without comparing them to those less fortunate than yourself.
Some might find it helpful to write these thoughts of gratitude in a notebook or diary (“gratitude journal”). At times, you might even be able to express gratitude directly to someone (e.g., “Thank you for visiting me; you made me feel better.”).
Remembering to be grateful can be challenging, and you may need to develop a way to remind yourself. One approach is to make it a regular habit at an easy-to-remember time, such as when in bed at night before falling asleep. Another approach is to set a daily reminder in your phone calendar to prompt yourself at a convenient time to be grateful, perhaps with a screen message: “Gratitude Time!” As you regularly practice gratitude, your mind will view the world less negatively.
As mentioned before, do not dismiss this psychological tool simply because it appears very simple. In reality, it can be a very powerful force in changing how you think.
Now it’s my time to practice gratitude. I am very grateful that you are visiting this website and that I can share ideas about how to find happiness with you.