Gratitude is about changing your mindset to see the positives in day to day life, instead of focussing on or honing in on negative things, that have impacted your day.

By shifting focus and seeing the positive in situations of your day. You become happier, less depressed, can sleep better and become an overall healthier you.

I took this thought to the test this week. I was having a particularly tough week at work things were happening that was getting me down. But instead of taking that all in because of how people were acting towards me, I would go home and try and find one or two positive things that had happened in my day and shut off the negative thoughts and feelings I was getting.

Beach walks and cooking is my two things in life im greatful for, living close to the beach is great, means i can go for a walk unwind and shift focus. Cooking is a therapeutic fun thing to do also with the sounds up great for unwinding. Being greatful for having a lovely friend to chat to also helps. By keeping our troubles to ourselves is a recipe for disaster. Having someone that you can chat to on a day to day basis or a few times a week like I do, helps me feel at ease and gives a different perspective on the issues im going through.

Recently i began using a gratitude journal i started by listing 3-4 positives that had happened to me each day and if I had a tough situation in my day, working through how i could do things differently or react differently to get a better outcome. Alot of the times I tend to shut down and not know how to deal with things alot of this comes from past experiences and i don't like confrontations. This really helped me to keep things in perspective. Im starting to feel more positive and feeling like i can take on anything life throws at me.

theawesomeinc.co.nz have excellent gratitude journals - starting from $9.95nzd for an online one to $37.95 including kids journals for you Mums out there.

Or you can just buy a notebook and start writing.

I recommend doing this every day. Within 2 weeks i noticed a difference to my overall well being and happiness.

The 9 x health effects of practising Gratitude on a day to day basis - courtesy of the experts at awesome.inc

Lights up the Brain’s Reward Pathway

Thinking about other people doing nice things floods the brain with positive chemicals and sparks brain activity critical to sleep, orgasms, mood regulation and metabolism.

Shifts the Heart Rhythm

Increases coherence of body functions, which facilitates higher cognitive functions, creating emotional stability and facilitating states of calm.

Increases Social Connection

You can feel greater connection and feel more satisfied with friends, family, school, community and yourself.

Lessens Anxiety & Depression Symptoms

Challenging negative thought patterns, helps to calm the anxious and boost the moods of those who are depressed.

Increases Heart Variability

Heart patients who practice gratitude show better moods, better sleep, less fatigue and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health.

Increases Empathy & Compassion

The more thankful we feel, the more likely we are to act pro-socially toward others, causing them to feel grateful and setting up a beautiful virtuous cascade.

Improves Physical Health

Strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, reduces symptoms of illness, and makes us less bothered by aches and pains.

Increases Resilience

Helps you bounce back from stressful events and helps you deal with adversity by acting as a buffer against internalising symptoms.

Increases Productivity

Feeling grateful to others makes us inspired and uplifted—these feelings of elevation bolster motivation to become healthier, more generous people but also better, more productive workers.

You can see why being greatful is so important to our health and wellbeing. Start your journey today.

Charz

2021