Change Your Life in 3 Easy Steps with Gratitude
Gratitude is one of my favorite practices because it’s easy and fast, can be done anywhere, and never fails to deliver. How’s that for a spiritual sales pitch.
Seriously though, research is proving that gratitude not only makes us healthier, happier and more resilient, but it also improves our relationships, builds life satisfaction, and enhances well-being. What’s not to love?
Another study shows that gratitude even improves our self-control which could help us save money and lose weight.
According to researchers at Northeastern University, gratitude reduces the impatience that can cause us to make poor choices. When we practice gratitude we tend to slow down, become more patient and less selfish. All that helps us make better decisions, so that we are less likely to make an impulse by or high the drive-thru.
How to Practice Gratitude
Put your practice in place now with these three tips:
1. Name three things you are grateful for – go small if you have to — the breath in your body, fresh water to drink, the home that you live in, the device you are reading this on.
2. Feel the emotion of appreciation and gratitude for those three things.
3. Then consider the cause of them.
Try to do this daily, coming up with new things each day, and notice how it just makes life a bit easier.
In Wednesday’s post I’ll share some other gratitude tips. And you can learn more by clicking on these links http://imperfectspirituality.com/2013..., http://imperfectspirituality.com/2012/11/21/emmons-talks-about-wonder-and-gratitude/, and http://imperfectspirituality.com/2014/06/25/five-practices-to-strengthen-your-mind-body-spirit/ or checking out a rundown of gratitude research on the PsyBlog.
