Gratitude is a powerful emotion. Being grateful brings perspective into life. It not only is good for your mind, but your soul as well. There are many benefits to gratitude. It promotes contentment, which has become rare found, thanks to the world of social media and the subsequent feelings of FOMO.
Furthermore, gratitude also teaches us empathy, which is a powerful emotion. It is also good for improving pain; it helps bring about chemical changes in the brain that then aid in the body to feel less pain.
Similarly, it has a profound impact on the mental health. It is effective for releasing tension in the body, allowing you to become relaxed. It also helps in abating stress in the body. When you are grateful for what you have, rather than focusing on what you do not have, you do get a feeling of calmness.
However, those with complex mental health problems should not rely on gratitude alone, but also seek help from their mental health expert at Fauji Foundation Hospital.
How to practice gratitude?
The question then arises is how to practice gratitude. To help you with this task, we have rounded up different techniques to help you!
Gratitude journal
The most common and effective way to practice gratitude is by using gratitude journal. All it takes is few minutes, but the impact is rather profound. Consistency is the only condition; naturally for the practice to be effective, you need be regular about it. You only need to carry this practice for around 2-3 times a week only.
The aim of the practice is to keep remembering your blessings, as positivity breeds positivity. To make your writing more effective, try to be specific. Rather than writing vague statements like you’re grateful for your body, get into the precise reasons for your gratitude.
Make your writing personal, as you cannot be superficial about your feelings. To add dimension to your writing, try to also think about the impact of eliminating the things in your life.
Write a letter
Gratitude is not just about writing to yourself, but also expressing your feelings to others. So, pen a letter to a friend, family member or colleague whom you are grateful for. Be sincere with your words and acknowledge them properly.
Think about your progress
At times, it is when we think about things with a macro-lens that we gain perspective and realize how far we have come. Hence, rather than just thinking about things in the moment, also think about the bad and the tough times. When you compare your present with the past, you will start to feel more grateful.
Don’t put a limit to it
It is important that you not put a limit to what amounts as beneficial enough to be grateful for. It is pertinent that you acknowledge the good moments, no matter how small they are. Like someone’s message? Be grateful for it. Had a comfortable commute? Something to be happy about.
When you see the good in everything, and are grateful for it, you not only get in a better mood, but also become positive and happy.
Find the good in the bad situations
When you try to find the good in your challenging and bad situations, and become grateful for these things, you gain perspective. It also then makes getting through these tough times easier.
Mindful gratitude
Sit in silence and be mindful of the space around you. Take a deep, relaxing breath, and envision some of the things that you are grateful for. It also helps to be mindful of the moment, taking in the feel, the scent, and the beauty of the place around you.
Mindfulness helps in promoting contentment and happiness. Moreover, it is also effective for many mental health issues, and can be done in tandem with the treatment prescribed by your Psychiatrist in Islamabad.