Life

Gratitude is a mental habit that can transform your life, and it is surprisingly easy to develop.

It’s easy to be grateful in the abstract. Gratitude is usually described in terms of what you feel for others: you feel grateful to them, or they are grateful to you. But gratitude is also about what you feel for yourself.

You can be grateful for anything. You can be grateful for the food you eat, the people you love, the music you hear, or the feeling of your feet on the ground.

Gratitude makes you happy because it reminds us that we are alive.

Here are a few ways to find Gratitude in daily life:

1. Say it aloud

When you feel gratitude, there are three ways to deepen that feeling:

1. Notice that you are grateful.

2. Notice the things that make you grateful.

3. Say aloud that you are grateful.

You might worry that saying aloud that you are grateful will seem contrived or fake — but it doesn’t have to be, because you really are grateful.

2. Appreciate others and tell them that

Appreciation is a kind of gratitude, and gratitude is a way to be happy.

It might seem that appreciation is easier for people who have more going for them. You have more things to appreciate if you have a loving partner, a good job, or a lovely house. It’s easier to admire someone who compliments your personality than someone who clashes with it, but it’s also possible to find some good in everyone. It’s so much easier to appreciate someone when you realize what they do for you.

3. Smile often

If you want to find gratitude in daily life, one thing you can do is smile often. Smiling makes most people happier, and it does so instantly and directly, as if by magic.

4. Nurture relationships

Here’s the formula for cultivating gratitude: make more new friends, and nurture the old ones. The reason this formula works is that friendship is based on mutuality. Friendships are not like one-sided transactions; they are closer to marriages, where two people interpenetrate their lives.

Nurture doesn’t just mean calling once in a while to say hello – although that helps – but finding ways to help out your friends in concrete ways.

5. Enjoy nature’s beauty.

Every time you take a walk, count your blessings. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and be thankful for nature. You can also try to share some of your happiness with others and appreciate their beauty and kindness.

6. Practice an act of kindness daily

When you look at the world with gratitude and kindness, it seems different from before. And since everything around us affects us in some way, you’ll find that your daily life is happier than before.

7. Compliment your friends

You can help your friends by finding things to appreciate about them. Compliment them sincerely. Express gratitude for their friendship, and they will be more likely to trust you with confidence. Gratitude is the highest form of flattery, and they will enjoy being flattered.

8. Keep a journal

Keeping a gratitude journal is almost effortless. Just before you go to sleep, think about the good things that happened during the day. It can be hard to come up with three things at first, but it gets easier over time; finding three good things becomes a habit.

9. Make a gratitude list.

Write your list and include things you are grateful for every day. If you say “thank you” each time you remember something you are thankful for, you will start to notice how many things there are to be grateful for in your life, even on days when nothing seems to be going right.

Your gratitude list might start like this:

– I am thankful for my family, my kids.

– I am thankful for my friends, with whom I can share my life.

– I am thankful for the health that allows me to live the life that I want.

I am thankful for all the people who have helped me with jobs, money, or both.

– I am thankful that my parents taught me to appreciate what I have.

– I am thankful that my grandfather taught me how important education is so that people can have a better life than he did.

10. Don’t complain simply.

You will never find gratitude in your life if you are always complaining. To do that, you need to go beyond the complaints and discover what you truly appreciate about your life.

11. Helps others

To put yourself in a state of constant gratitude, you need to increase the amount of good in the world and decrease the amount of evil. The best way to do this is to help other people.

When you do good for others, you create a kind of debt—a positive obligation to an unknown recipient. This is a great gift: a source of strength in hard times.

12. Be thankful when you learn new

Learning is good, and progress is good. But there’s a difference between recognizing the goodness of something and being grateful for it. What makes this hard is that you tend to conflate the two in your minds. When you recognize something as good, it feels like gratitude.

13. Share benefits of being gratitude

Gratitude is not something you can summon up at will. It’s a habit that forms over time, the product of many daily experiences. Being grateful helps you feel good. Gratitude helps to create good relationships that improve our lives. Being grateful lets us live more satisfying lives, which makes it worth doing anyway.

14. Use visual reminders

Is there anything you are grateful for that you want to remember?

Make a list. People move in and out of your life; objects wear out; interests shift. Your gratitude changes, too; what was once important may fade away.

So make another list. Now you have two lists, one with things you want to be grateful for and the other things you are thankful for. The first list is the one you can’t look at without feeling bad; the second is the one that cheers you up when you do look at it.

Try making a photograph of each item on the second list, then put them up where you’ll see them every day — on your computer monitor or the refrigerator door. This way, they’re just as present as they were when they were new and exciting, but now they’re also reminders of gratitude and happiness.

15. Savor the good you already have.

Gratitude doesn’t have to wait for a particular time or place. Gratitude is a way of savoring the good things that happen every day, like the taste of the good soup and the smell of flowers and children’s laughter and friendship and music and even rain on your face. By focusing on what is good, we make more room for the good in our lives.

Showing gratitude for what you have doesn’t require you to put on some show or pretend that everything is perfect when it isn’t. It just means that you should pause and think about how things came to be this way every once in a while. It’s okay to be happy with your life, but if you never stop considering where it all came from, you might take it for granted.

The big things are easy enough to recognize: your house didn’t build itself; someone had to make it; someone else had to deliver it; someone else paid for it. On a smaller scale, someone cooked the food you ate today, somewhere far away from where you live. Someone hauled their ass out of bed early enough so they could drive a truck across town and bring it here. Someone got out of bed again so they could come in and prepare it for you. 

Thus feel blessed and be grateful for all the things you have in your life. 

Download the Joyscore app for all the updates on gratitude and happiness. 

Showing gratitude is easy when everything is going well and smooth. Gratitude allows us to celebrate and elevate our feeling of goodness and makes the good days great! But, practicing gratitude and having that gratitude feeling is even more crucial when the times are trying and things are tough.

At some point in our lives, we face uncertain and challenging times, and more often than not, these situations surround us at all times. Moreover, the hit that economy has taken because of the Covid-19 pandemic, gratitude practice, and gratefulness is more crucial than ever. Gratitude is the perfect medicine for better physical and mental health regardless of the source of your anxiety and stress.

We know that it’s not easy to find that silver lining when things are going sideways, but being humble and finding good in the bad can surely make those times easier for you. Gratitude will not instantly cure all your problems, nor will it give you back your joyful bliss, but it will give you the tools and positive mindset to deal with those challenging times. 

In fact, several studies show that gratitude can help us cope with traumas, control our negative emotions, and improve our overall health. So, without further adieu, let us jump in and find out how you can find gratitude and mindfulness while battling the tough times of your life.

Tips to find gratitude in trying times

Focus on the good

It’s easy to get hung up on bad situations and the unfortunate things that are happening to you. Everything looks dark and feels like there is no exit during tough times, but is it really the case?

Finding the silver lining is a way to ride out the tough times. Try to remember the little good things that are happening in your life. It is crucial to have that glass-half-full mentality to keep your mind calm, poised, and better capable of dealing with the trying times of your life.

You cannot appreciate something until you take a look at it. So, try to complain less about things and notice the good moments that are happening around you.

Remember the difficult times.

Most often than not, tough times are the ones that make you more humble and allow you to get the appreciation of good times. When the times are good, we take good things for granted, making us less grateful for them. With that being said, Pain and suffering can polish and deepen gratefulness. It allows us to remember not to take things for granted and appreciate every moment that we have. 

Thus, it is crucial to remember the trying times for you to get a better perspective. When the times are tough, remember the sorrows and the trials you have faced before and how you overcame them. This will not only give you the strength and hope to soldier through the situation but will also give you a new appreciation and gratitude towards life. 

Always remember! If you want the rainbow, you have to deal with the rain.

Reframe the situation

Showing gratitude in tough times does not necessarily mean quitting trying and ignoring the situation. Rather than that, it tells you to acknowledge the situation you are in, accept the circumstances, and find out options to deal with them with a positive mindset. 

So telling people to sit back, count their blessings, and find out good things can certainly do much harm. Instead, you should see the situation from different angles, and strive to find the solution for the problem while being grateful for the good things you still have in your life. It can help you tackle harsh times and will keep your mind at peace.

Try gratitude meditation

It might sound a little cliché, but gratitude meditation is a great way to get out of your current mindset and opt for a different, more positive one. Daily focused meditation can make you more present at the moment and can give you a focused, more determined mind to tackle your problems. 

It allows you to turn unfortunate circumstances into life lessons and make you more grateful towards life. There are many benefits of practicing gratitude and gratitude meditation, and coping with stressful times is just one example of it.

Make a gratitude journal.

Maintaining a gratitude journal is another method to practice gratitude during difficult times. Sometimes, writing what you are thinking can make a big difference and, this is what gratitude journaling is all about. 

Gratitude journaling refers to writing down the things you are grateful for. It can be a person, an object, or even a friendly gesture that you got from a friend, family member, or even a stranger. This daily practice reminds you of the good things you have in your life and enables you to face those difficult times with more mindfulness and positivity.

Spend time with other grateful people

The people who are close to you possess the power to influence your thought patterns, your attitude, and even your personality. This is why it is crucial to surround yourself with the company of other people who practice gratitude in their lives. Gratitude is an attitude, and surrounding yourself with other grateful people will nurture this positive part of you as well as give you the strength to fight difficult times.

Try helping others

Just because you are going through uncertain times, even then, you should never forget to help others. Even in the hardest phases of life, generosity, compassion, and human connection can cure all your bad emotions. Helping others can give you hope and determination to fight difficult times and can allow other people to help you as well.

Final thoughts

In the end, all we can say is that expressing gratitude in difficult times can make your journey easier and can fill you with hope and positivity. Abraham Lincon once said the phrase “This too shall pass,” which means all times, good or bad, will eventually come to an end, and the times will change. Keeping this mantra in mind, always remember that hard times will pass, and things will get better. Meanwhile, you can cope with tough situations better by practicing gratitude with the above-mentioned methods.

An attitude of gratitude touches many aspects of our lives. It plays with our emotions and is attached to our personality. It becomes a part of career success and overall well-being. These can contribute to basic happiness.

How do you practice gratitude?

The practice of gratitude means different things to different people. From prayers to being thankful and, daily journalling gratitude can take many forms.

Gratitude involves identifying the two things in your life and knowing how do they affect you. This can range from acknowledging the beautiful nature around you, or it can be saying thanks to others for helping and sharing.

You can practice gratitude in different ways:

• You can maintain a gratitude journal
• Being thankful for little things which you already have.
• Saying thanks to someone every time they help you

Benefits of practicing gratitude:

The attitude of gratitude doesn’t cost you any money, nor does it take your time. It is also the most powerful method of increasing happiness—the benefits of gratitude on enormous. Read on to know the benefits of practicing gratitude every day.

1. Gratitude makes you happier.

It’s easy to forget what you’ve been given. When you’re grateful for something you’ve been given—even the little things, like the socks your mom knitted for you, or whatever—you’re more likely to remember it and appreciate it. Feeling appreciated makes you feel good about yourself, and feeling good about yourself makes you happier.

2. Good for psychological well being

There are at least three ways it can work: Our grateful feelings may reflect an accurate appraisal of our situation, which in turn will make us more satisfied with life; or gratitude provides a way to feel better about events in our lives that would otherwise feel bad, such as by comparing our misfortunes to those of others; or thinking of things we are grateful for may help us focus on positive aspects of our lives and let go of negative ones, leading to a more positive mood.

3. It helps to reduce envy.

Gratitude facilitates positive emotions and makes us more resilient. When you are grateful for what you have, there is no room for envy to pop up in your heart.

4. It increases your self-esteem.

Gratitude helps you to feel better about yourself and also your circumstances. When you intentionally thank people, you develop a strong sense of your value.

5. Access to a broader social network

Those who are grateful are better at maintaining relationships. Showing gratitude to loved ones is a great way to make them feel good and make you feel good, and make the relationship better. 

Research says that those who are grateful for more social and are more likely to ask for help. It helps in establishing a mentoring relationship. It also makes a person help you continuously.  Their feeling of gratitude, wisdom, experience, and appreciation allows you to feel good.

6. Improves relationships

Expressing gratitude to others can improve your relationships. Research says that those who communicate their gratitude to their friends and family are more likely to work through problems and concerns with them.

If a friend always thanks you for taking time to see and chat with them, you may feel good and feel appreciated. This attitude of gratitude deepens friendships. It also induces pro-social behavior.  

7. It helps you to be optimistic.

Gratitude not only helps others to feel more positive but also makes you think more positively.  The more positive you think, the more you find to be grateful for. Even though things are terrible to some people, they show an attitude of gratitude which is amazing. 

What makes them unique? They make a daily choice to look good in life.

8. Decreases self-centeredness

Research says that promoting gratitude among people makes them more likely to share and receive. You tend to give more. 

9. It makes you energetic.

Gratitude enhances positive emotions and provides happiness. When you experience deep happiness, your body produces wonderful chemicals that are rewarding to your body. This helps you to be energetic all day.

10. Makes you more efficient and more productive. 

Research says that practicing gratitude improves your managerial skills.  Being grateful helps you be a motivator as a mentor and guide to the employees you manage.  You can be an effective manager when you are thankful for others. 

Gratitude also helps in reducing insecurity which means you can focus on your work and improve your productivity. 

11. Improves decision making

Being grateful reduces impatience. When making decisions, there might be less pressure for short-term gratification when you are grateful to others. This would provide positive work results, and it can also boost your career. 

12. Reduces stress

Gratitude helps you to put things into perspective.  It provides a balance that can help you avert the good feeling of hopelessness which plays a significant role in creating stress. When you find things to be grateful for at work, it can prevent you from adverse side effects of the job. 

13. Improves sleep

Showing gratitude can enhance your sleep. If you are struggling to sleep, you can try to write a gratitude journal before bed. This would make a difference and help you to be calm,  thus improving your sleep.

14. It improves overall physical health.

Research says that the more grateful you are, The more you enjoy good physical health. Grateful people are healthy people. People who engage in gratitude practices are less likely to feel pain and are less likely to go to the doctor for ailments.

15. It helps in recovery.

Gratitude can be applied to recovery from several diagnoses and conditions. Whether it is a physical element or substance abuse,  being grateful can help them take control of their lives and help them get well soon. 

Gratitude makes right a kind of immune to negative feelings. People who express gratitude are more resilient. They recover fast. They have a more proactive coping style and are likely to seek out social support in times of need. 

Thus, in conclusion, gratitude is a massively underutilized tool for improving life satisfaction.

Do you want to learn how to practice gratitude?

Download our Joyscore app.

Imagine starting your day with a positive mood, energized body, and ready to take on the world. Well, this is what gratitude does to you. Studies have shown that expressing gratitude can improve your physical and mental health. The simplistic habit of evaluating and writing down what you’re grateful for can lead to a happier, more peaceful life. 

Showing gratitude or being grateful in general seems a pretty easy thing to do. But, in reality, it is a much harder cookie to crack than it looks. The best way to achieve this milestone is to maintain a gratitude journal. Gratitude journals are not like a “dear diary” that you keep as a teenager. It is a journal that you write about the arbitrary thoughts of the day, the things you have seen, and the things you are grateful for. 

Gratitude journaling is becoming a popular and proven method of practicing gratitude. And we are here to guide you on how you can make gratitude journaling a daily part of your life and habits.

Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal

Everyone’s gratitude journal is different, and there is no defined way to keep a gratitude journal. However, we have some tips that will make this process easier for you and help you make it a habit you will easily stick to.

Choose a journal

The first step for starting gratitude journaling (don’t worry, it is easy) is selecting a journal to record your thoughts. There are a few things that you can keep in mind before choosing a journal. For instance, whether you want to physically write the journal or type it on a digital device, will you be carrying the journal around or have a dedicated place for writing, or so on.

Traditionally, many have recommended keeping a physical journal, but you can also use dedicated journaling apps available in the market. Nonetheless, whether you go for the physical or digital type of journaling, keep in mind, it will be for the long haul.

Reassure yourself of the benefits

Many people can find it hard to get started on their journaling cycle, and if you haven’t kept a journal before, chances are it will be a tough thing to get a grip on. To counter this problem, it is always essential to reassure yourself of the benefits that this activity holds and the changes it can bring to your life just by spending a little time every day and indulging in the process. Reminding yourself daily of the benefits of gratitude can give you the boost you need and fuel you to keep going for a long time to come.

Big or small, write it down!

The amazing thing about keeping a gratitude journal is that it pushes you to evaluate things you are grateful for. These things can be as big as winning a lottery or small as having a plate full of food. The only thing you have to do is write it down. 

You can begin by looking at the things around you. Maybe you can be grateful for the pen you’re holding, as it enables you to record your thoughts, or perhaps you can be grateful that you have electricity in your house. You can express your gratitude for the cozy bed you sleep in every night, or you can be thankful towards a friend who met you today. While these things may not seem that big, starting small and journaling about small things can make a big difference over time.

Perfection is in the details.

You can maintain your gratitude journal much better if you put more details into your entries, write about things precisely, and why they make you thankful. Gratitude journal keeping can get way more fun and way more engaging if you try to mention why you liked the thing and why that thing or gesture made you thankful as you are. 

Getting precise and running deep with your entries helps you build a stronger bond with the things you manifest gratitude for. Not to mention, being conscious of why you feel thankful can help you get even better results out of your journal. 

Write about different things.

Another way to improve your daily gratitude practice is to write about different areas and aspects of your life. Concentrating on a single part of your life can restrict your self-perception and limit your gratitude and journaling experience. You can write about the personal, professional, or even intimate part of your life. 

You can also mention the things you have learned or the accomplishments you have achieved on the day. Expanding your horizons and significantly enhancing your satisfaction for gratitude journaling and that gratitude feeling within you.

Carve out time for the activity

If you want to make gratitude journaling a part of your routine, then committing to the process is the only way to do it. Practicing gratitude benefits the mind and the body, but it is only beneficial if you do it regularly. Some of the best times to write in your daily gratitude journal are in the morning or just before bed at night. 

We understand that everyone is busy, and it is not easy to make time in this fast-pacing world. Although to start a daily gratitude practice habit, it is also important to make time for your mental health and mindfulness.

Don’t get carried away. 

Overuse of anything is harmful, and the same goes with gratitude journaling also. Always keep yourself in check and try not to overdo gratitude journaling. It is recommended to write in your gratitude journal once or twice a day.

Conclusion

There is a mountain of benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. It provides your thoughts an exit point and allows you to dive deep within yourself and practice gratefulness. Now that you have a cheat sheet to make your gratitude journaling practice last, the final step is to begin. Don’t wait for a special occasion or a sign from God. Just pick up a pen and start your mindful experience.  

“Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.” – Swedish Proverb.

Friends make your life happier. You can never measure the actual benefits of friendship. It is impossible to calculate how much joy your best friend has brought to you over the years. Research says that people are happier when they are with other people. Source.

Joy is having good friends by your side. These social bonds can have a positive impact on your health and happiness.

Here we present to you six reasons why friendship is crucial for a happy life. 

1. Friends keep you healthy.

Friendship is good for your physical and mental health. Having a close circle of good friends can decrease your health risks such as heart attack and stroke. They also encourage a healthy lifestyle which has a direct impact on your well-being. Friends help you reduce the feeling of loneliness and emotionally support you. 

2. Friendship encourages positive interactions. 

Friends help you to be optimistic. When you have your friends beside you, the visual perception of challenges changes. You are encouraged to deal with all the negative aspects bravely. Positivity increases your satisfaction with life and reduces the risk of depression. 

3. A friend always makes you happy.

Happiness is contagious among friends. They make you burst into If your friend has a healthy mood, you too are likely to have the same. When you are happy for a friend when their happiness, success, beauty, and celebration make you happy, celebration makes you happy. It is then you realize the magic of friendship. 

4. Friends help you reduce stress.

A lack of friends makes you vulnerable to depression and substance abuse. You may be going through stressful situations in your life. Friends help you cope with such events. According to a study, People who hang out with friends during stressful situations produce less cortisol. Another research says that people are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days spent with friends.

5. Friends help you live longer.

Did you know? People with strong social ties are 50% less likely to die. Friendship doesn’t just make lives better; it makes them longer. The social support that you get during stressful times makes you feel comfortable and make your life better. Stronger social relationships have a 50% lower risk of mortality. Thus friendship is crucial to have a longer and happier life. 

6. Socialize for betterment

Friendship is necessary for you to feel happy, and the happiest people are the most social. People who connect with more people are positive and optimistic. Simple activities such as joining a club, walking/jogging together, or hanging out with friends are all means of socialization. These banish loneliness feelings and promote a sense of safety, belonging, and joy that helps people to feel secure. 

Friendship is a bond that shares the joy. It lasts when two people fill specific roles, perform tasks for each other and share a connection. Love and relationships indeed begin and end, but the joy of friendship stays forever. Be happy and nurture your friendship with Joyscore.