What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is simply cultivating awareness of the good things that happen in your life.
When we get caught up with what's going wrong, comparing ourselves to others, fearing the future, obsessing over the past and what other people think of us, this can really limit any feelings of gratitude and negatively impact our overall wellbeing.
The Science of Gratitude
Gratitude has been proven as an antidote to negative emotions. The science shows that regular practice of gratitude can increase neuron density and lead to greater emotional intelligence.
One amazing finding is that the more you practice the more you strengthen the brain’s neural circuits for gratitude. So when you spend more time focussing on what's going well in your life, your brain will proactively discover similar things and make you aware of them.
Let's take an example, if you consciously notice how beautiful the view of the beach is you will most likely take in this beauty each time you go to the beach and feel this sense of gratitude again. This can be applied to the food you eat, someone who helped you out or a co-worker who made your day a little easier.
How to get started
You may begin with the bigger things in your life like a new job, a holiday or a piece of clothing but as you practice you will see that the magic really does lie in the small things.
So many amazing things happen to the brain when you reguarly make time for gratitude:
Increased Dopamine - otherwise known as the 'feel good' hormone. This surge of dopamine gives you a natural high that will motivate you to repeat specific behaviors, including expressing gratitude even more.
Increased Serotonin production - the happiness chemical. This hormone can help by stabilizing mood and also helping us to feel relaxed.
7 Day Gratitude Challenge
This week you will experiment with gratitude. Each night before you go to sleep take out a journal. Write down how you feel in the moment - there is no wrong answer. You might feel anxious, sad or happy.
Write down three things you feel grateful for. Then think about why these things happened and how they made you feel. Highlight the best part of your day & what you are looking forward to the following day. Practice this for 7 days.
Download the 7 day challenge here
If you find it easier use this guide each evening and fill out the various sections or replicate this in your journal.
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