HAVING just celebrated Thanksgiving has given us pause to refocus on something that has not been top of mind for some time: being grateful. Of course, finding reasons for gratitude in a world reeling from the effects of the coronavirus, natural disasters, and economic difficulties is not easy.
And while our lives have changed, we are still thankful that we have somehow adapted to these lifestyle shifts and yes, we are still around. At the same time, we have discovered that with these difficulties come blessings—like closer family ties—that we may have taken for granted in our former frenzied world.
But in good or bad times, an attitude of gratitude is always good not only during Thanksgiving, but in our daily life. An article in PositivePsychology.com cites research that shows that gratitude can improve your physical and psychological health. Grateful people also have an advantage in overcoming trauma, and have an enhanced resilience that helps them bounce back from highly stressful situations. They are also happier people.
It goes on to suggest gratitude practices like journaling, starting a gratitude jar or box; and for kids, activities that appeal to their sense of fun and wonder like creating gratitude tree, and walking around a gratitude garden.
Likewise, in an article “8 Ways to Have More Gratitude Every Day,” in ForbesWomen, Janet Miller, says that “a life well lived is one of gratitude and thankfulness.” Here, she shares eight ways to guide us in our daily gratitude journey.
1. Don’t be picky: appreciate everything
“Gratitude doesn’t have to be saved for the big things in life,” says Miller. “The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and realizing that there is nothing too small to be grateful for.”
Even if it as simple as appreciating good weather, a warm greeting from a colleague, or quick service in a restaurant. “Don’t leave anything out when practicing gratitude.”
2. Find gratitude in your challenges
There is, believe it or not, a silver living behind the challenges we experience, especially during these times. We learn to work harder, become more resilient, and look for creative and innovative solutions. That way, we become better and kinder persons.
“Gratitude is not only about being thankful for positive experiences,” says Miller. “Dig a little deeper into some of your own past experiences and try to figure how they have helped shape you into the person you are today.”
3. Practice mindfulness
Miller suggests that we “sit down daily and think through five to ten things you are grateful for. Doing this everyday will rewire your brain to be naturally more grateful, and you’ll start feeling happier after each session.”
She adds that, “your brain is a powerful tool and training it towards gratitude is all part of ensuring that the gratitude comes more easily as you practice.”
4. Keep a gratitude journal
Keeping a journal of all of the things you are thankful for can help you keep track of and refer back to your positives in life, says Miller.
She says, “you can journal every day after your gratitude practice, or you can come back to the journal on a regular basis weekly or monthly.” In the process, we can appreciate all the things we have to be grateful for in our everyday life.
5. Volunteer
Helping others can help you!
For many people, Miller says that “the key to having more gratitude is to give back to others in their local community. Not only will it make you more grateful for the things that you may take for granted, but studies have shown that volunteering for the purpose of helping others increases our own well-being, and thus our ability to have more gratitude.”
In fact, in his research Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being, University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman tested all kinds of variables that help improve our well-being, and found that volunteering is the single most reliable way to momentarily increase your well-being.
6. Express yourself
What we consider a simple “thank you” can actually work wonders.
After all, “not only does expressing your gratitude for someone make their day a little brighter,” says Miller, “but it can do wonders for increasing your own levels of gratitude and happiness in the long run.”
Soul Pancake, a group that works to discover “the science of happiness,” recently ran an experiment where it encouraged people to write a letter to a person they were grateful for. While this exercise increased their levels of happiness from 2 to 4 percent, making a phone call to thank the person they were thankful for saw a leap in their happiness levels from 4 percent to 19 percent.
7. Spend time with loved ones
Miller says that spending time with friends and family will not only help you grow closer to them and strengthen your relationship, but will also give you a chance to practice your acts of gratitude on people you care about.
When together, you can “listen intently the next time someone shares a story with you instead of waiting for your own chance to speak. Or start a conversation with a difficult member of the family by complimenting their new shoes or haircut.”
8. Improve happiness in other areas of your life
“Being grateful can make you happy, but being happy can also make you grateful,” says Miller.
She suggests looking into other ways that make us happy like exercising or participating in a hobby you enjoy.
Once you get into the flow of things, “showing gratitude will become even easier and you’ll start to be able to make list after list of all the things in your life you’re thankful for.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: Peggy Anke | www. Pexels.com