How to Build Resilience With Gratitude
Have you ever asked the question, “is there more to being healthy than what I eat and how I workout?” Maybe you’re eating daily kale salads and working out 4 times a week, but something just feels like it’s still missing. Holistic health means exploring our wellness practices in relation to nutrition and exercise, but also our mindset and mindfulness practices.
Let’s dig into one of my favorite mindfulness practices, gratitude. I believe true happiness and joy is found through cultivating a sense of gratitude for our lives. Finding gratitude in the small seemingly insignificant moments of our daily lives is where true change happens. Looking beyond the big amazing memories, and giving thanks for the every day tiny moments that make you smile. Reading books with your children at the end of the day. Sunshine falling on your face when you stepped outside. A really satisfying cup of coffee to start the day. Read on to learn about the incredible benefits of a gratitude practice and the impact it can have on your life.
4 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude
Maybe you’re thinking, lady, you’re crazy…just thinking about what I’m thankful for can't make me happy. Or perhaps you’ve dabbled in a gratitude practice in the past, it didn’t stick, but you’re curious about giving it a try again. Wherever you are, give yourself a moment to read thru this amazing list of scientifically proven benefits of a gratitude practice and open your mind to the possibilities.
Improves Mental Health:
Gratitude has the power to increase happiness and lower feelings of frustration, anxiety and depression. Gratitude will help you reduce stress, but also to be more resilient in times of distress. A sense of gratitude is shown to increase empathy and reduce feelings of aggression.
Improves Physical Health:
Grateful people are more likely to take better care of their health, and also have less aches and pains. They’re more likely to schedule doctor visits, but also prioritize daily exercise and healthy eating.
Improves Sleep:
The simple act of writing in a gratitude journal before going to sleep is shown to both improve your quality of sleep as well as length of sleep. If you’re curious about tho learn more, check out “How to Reset with One Minute of Mindfulness” where I break down this incredibly simple & effective practice.
Improves Self-Esteem:
As opposed to constantly comparing ourselves to others and their accomplishments, gratitude allows for a sense of appreciation for the great work of others. We can appreciate what others are doing, and also see how our work is valued and important.
If you’re a mama, and raising little humans, I would bet these benefits struck home for you. Obviously these are incredible benefits to cultivate in your own life, but these are certainly areas I work to strengthen and foster in my daughter’s lives. Take a moment to consider the impact of a gratitude practice on our children. What would happen if we filled our kids minds with a sense of gratitude from a young age? What if they grew up with these incredible mindset tools that would strengthen their mental health? Think of the impact of a world where kids cultivate gratitude all their life and grow up being healthier both physically and mentally, in addition to having strong self-esteem. Great things could happen, and I for one would like to live in a world where this is happening!
If this blog has left you inspired to explore gratitude practices, check out 3 Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day!