The Power of Gratitude in Improving Mental Health

31 Jan, 2023

We tend to forget the power of being thankful in our day-to-day lives. But what if we told you that you could improve your mental health by cultivating gratitude?

With alarming crises worldwide, mental health disorders are common worldwide, affecting millions of people from all age segments. However, only a fraction of people gather the guts to be vocal about it or the ones to receive treatment. Without corrective measures, mental health hazards can be life-threatening. To deal with the devil, the world lives by the art of practicing an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is a powerful practice; it impacts overall health and boosts the people around. It’s a contagious chain of happiness. As the world struggles to adapt to the new normal, practicing gratitude has become imperative. The word ‘gratitude’ is drawn from the word gratus, which means meaning grateful or thankful.

As the term states, gratitude defines a completely self-aware state of being thankful that revolves around expressing compassion and kindness as a self-gift. Appreciation and acknowledgment of the positive things in life as you cherish little things are a part of the soul-healing process.

Gratitude also helps you savor positive experiences, boosting your mood and increasing your satisfaction with life. The more grateful you are, the more likely you are to experience other positive emotions, such as joy, love, and happiness. Thus, there is a way to discover the science behind how being grateful can transform your life and make you happier!

Let’s read how practicing the art of gratitude impacts mental health –

Gratitude uplifts mental health

• Researchers stated that people who wrote about things they were grateful for had better sleep quality and less fatigue. Also found that gratitude was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety.
• Additionally, gratitude has been linked to greater life satisfaction and happiness.
• Practicing gratitude unlocks the progressive mindset and ensures focus on growth and improvement. In addition, they use SMART goals to guide their actions and thought processes.
• Little steps of faith take the road to the umpteen growths. When you practice gratitude, you cherish little things, and every action taken ensures acknowledgment and appreciation.
• Holding hands of gratitude always takes you towards improving, improvising, and succeeding in growth.

Gratitude can motivate you to be optimistic

• The attitude of gratitude is key to an optimistic mind, body, and soul. Grateful people engage in good habits and believe in helping others deal with negative emotions.
• Recent research from the market has indicated that an optimistic approach proves to be a better coping mechanism in adversities.
• Mindfulness and positivity come into play when you teach gratitude in your attitude.

Gratitude controls and taps your emotions

• As science has stated, being thankful brings a capacity for appreciation and a positive attitude.
• Controlled emotions empower individuals to grow tremendously and tackle difficult emotions more effectively. Gratitude is the art of appreciating little things in life. This also proves to be another mainly used coping strategy to deal with low points in life and address them head-on.

Gratitude regulates the effects of stress

• Stress can be unbearable mental pain, primarily when the root cause is beyond control, and thus gratitude is a way to reduce stress levels.
• Expressing gratitude also positively affects our mental well-being by facilitating positive emotions like joy, happiness, and contentment that counter-break post-traumatic stress.
• In a global magazine, Dr. Moye quoted, “Gratitude anchors us back toward our inner knowing that we are in control of our peace by how we choose to respond to stress.

Gratitude improves patience

• Noticing the small moments of gratitude can help us to be more patient in our daily lives.
• Practicing gratitude helps shift our perspective from negative emotions to the positive aspects of life, focusing on how to be content with current circumstances.
• This amplifies the patience in an individual as they navigate through challenging situations in life.

Gratitude helps in overcoming addiction

• Overcoming addiction has always been a challenge. However, to recover from substance abuse, gratitude is a way to initiate and sustain long-term addiction recovery.
• The possibilities of successful recovery are codependent on personal and social well-being. However, both aspects can be taken care of by practicing gratitude and cherishing little things.
• To get over the negative and self-loathing thoughts, individuals are encouraged to cultivate gratitude, and this mindset empowers them to have a positive outlook in life.

The major challenge is to be consistent in practicing gratitude. Read below some tips and tricks to nurture the practice.

• Write a gratitude journal - Each night before bed, write down three things you are grateful for that day. This can be anything from big blessings like a new job or baby to small things like your child’s smile or a sunny day.
• Practice thank you - When someone does something nice for you, say thank you. Whether it’s a co-worker who helped you with a project or a friend who treated you to lunch, take the time to show your appreciation.
• Pass it forward - Once you start feeling more grateful, you may want to pay the goodwill forward by doing something nice for someone else – anonymously, if you’d like! For example, leave flowers on a neighbor’s doorstep, pay for the person’s coffee behind you in line, or compliment a stranger.
• Volunteer - Helping others is one of the best ways to boost your mood and feel good about yourself. Find a local charity or non-profit organization that could use your help and give back to those in need.
• Give gifts - even if they’re not materialistic items. Gifts don’t always have to be physical objects – sometimes, the best gifts are intangible things like your time, attention, or words of encouragement.
• Morning meditation – Mediation has always been a soulful practice toward improved mental health. A gratitude infused in meditation revolves around morning moments on things you’re grateful for and positive aspects of your life.
• Prayer - Prayer is another conventional way to practice gratitude. Prayer amplifies your beliefs and magnifies the magnitude of gratitude. So yes, it’s a helpful tool for processing acknowledgment and appreciation linked to positive health.

Conclusion

The power of gratitude is undeniable and can be a great tool to help improve your mental health. Gratitude enables you to focus on the positive aspects of life, which can help give you more purpose and meaning. It also encourages us to connect with others, giving us greater motivation and enthusiasm for life. Taking time each day to think about what we’re thankful for can have powerful effects on our mental health and overall happiness.

So, take some time today to reflect on all that you are grateful for - it could make a world of difference! Practicing gratitude can be a beneficial daily habit for physical and mental health. It also offers potential benefits for relationships.

At MedPro, we have qualified and experienced medical assistants who are there to walk you through the phase of life with the right guidance and treatment. To know more, get in touch with our team. Call us at (877) 216-4215 or local: 559.450.6334 or visit our website – www.cvmedpro.com