“He who is not happy with little, will not be happy with much” – Lao Tzu
At some point in our lives, we have all felt disappointment, sadness, and anguish. We feel that the world around us is hostile, we feel alone, abandoned and devoid of love
However, this is not always the case. The obsession with materialism or big things makes us forget the small details. Our life is full of actions and people that make our lives better.
Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, we must learn and practice the art of thanksgiving, as it will change our lives in ways that will make us happier and more fulfilled people.
What is gratitude?
Defining the word thank you is a simple task, “the act of thanksgiving.” However, beyond the literal meaning of the word, it reserves in its bosom a much greater importance, which we generally do not appreciate.
Gratitude has a spiritual, emotional, social, interpersonal and even, for some, religious value. It’s about observing and really appreciating the people, events, and details, whether big or small, that make up our lives.
When we do it from the bottom of our being, we experience a sense of pleasure, not only with ourselves, but with everything around us. This happiness and inner certainty is reflected in our words and actions.
Benefits of gratitude in health and well-being
Gratitude is an important component for the psychosocial and physical well-being of the person, which favor a satisfaction with our current position in our lives.
Here are some of the benefits that the act of gratitude can bring you.
Allows you to connect with life
Some consider and recognize life as a gift. However, many go through their day to day without stopping to think for a moment about the people around them, about the little details, such as a smile or a “good morning”.
The advantage of gratitude is that we learn to see life from a different angle, developing skills that make us think and act positively, taking advantage of the fruits and gifts that life has provided us.
Dissatisfaction decreases
For many, life is full of dissatisfaction: your economic situation was not what you expected, the workload has become greater, you invest less time in your interests and hobbies, the relationship has lost that vigor that characterized it.
These are some examples of everyday complaints. However, we repeatedly ignore small details, apparently superfluous at first glance. We don’t appreciate enough the people and circumstances that make our lives better.
Gratitude is not just an emotional state of happiness, it is a mindset. We direct our efforts and perspectives to observe the positive indicators in the different aspects of our lives.
This virtue of seeing things with happier nuances predisposes us to evaluate things in a positive way, in turn increasing satisfaction with our lives. The psychological mechanisms that connect one to the other are unknown.
Among the suggested hypotheses, we have Thebroaden-and-build theory. In summary, the theory expresses that when a person perceives a current situation as a “gift”, he experiences positive emotions.
Said emotions protect the person from a myriad of psychiatric disorders, increasing the person’s quality of life.
This physical and emotional well-being creates a cycle, where good emotions incline the person to make healthy and responsible decisions, once again increasing their satisfaction in life.
Raise energy levels
If we go back to the previous point, about the positive correlation between gratitude and the satisfaction we feel in our lives, we can see the emotional impact that gratitude has on our lives.
By feeling good about yourself and the events around you, you are more likely to experience positive emotions, lifting your spirits and therefore your energy levels.
Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, or moods such as sadness, are characterized by the person feeling asthenia, which is a lack of energy to accomplish any task, however insignificant it may be.
On the other hand, the emotional energy that we receive when we begin to positively observe things and situations, however unforeseen and inconvenient they may be, will prompt us to act in a positive way.
Strengthens the heart and the immune system
People with a higher degree of satisfaction in their lives and a higher degree of happiness are less likely to suffer from a number of pathologies, such as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.
The relationship between the two phenomena is somewhat indirect. Psychiatric disorders, stress and bad habits are some predisposing factors for the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Stress also suppresses the functions of immune cellstag. By experiencing a sense of well-being, either mental or physical, that is characteristic of a person who practices gratitude on a daily basis, these risk factors decrease.
In addition, the person is more likely to become aware of their decisions, how they affect their health and decide to adopt healthier habits, avoiding stress, tobacco, alcoholism and others.
Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
The daily practice of gratitude generates in our mind a series of mental habits. Among these is the positive interpretation bias. This habit makes the person more likely to interpret situations positively.
For example, let’s say you failed a test. The reality is immutable. But you can shape how you take the situation, you can gain the experience to learn from your mistakes, recognize that you have a lot to learn and apply solutions.
At the other extreme, the person experiences sadness, becomes obsessed with the result obtained, preventing them from judging the situation critically. There the frustration is born and this, being cumulative, generates stress and anxiety in the person.
Increases self-esteem and confidence
The relationship between gratitude and the well-being of the person also has an impact on the self-concept and, by extension, on the person’s self-esteem.
Giving thanks for everything that is part of your life promotes positive cognitive effects over negative ones. Among these benefits is a greater ability to form social bonds and maintain them.
These attitudes taken favor the way she sees herself. Let go of feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, stress and anxiety. Embrace positive thoughts, which build confidence in your actions and words.
Strengthens interpersonal relationships
Being grateful also helps build interpersonal relationships, such as friendships. Two longitudinal studies published in the Journal of Research of Personality sought to establish a link between the two.
They found that students who practiced gratitude at the beginning of the semester were more likely to receive social support from their peers at the end of the semester, and showed fewer symptoms of anxiety, stress, or sadness.
One possible explanation is the following: if a person genuinely appreciates the help of others and decides to return this support, in some way or another, the other person will perceive this gratitude.
This reciprocity will foster the social bond between both people, which in turn stimulates the neural pathways that foster self-esteem, happiness, and the desire to socialize with others.
Increase happiness and optimism
Good self-esteem, healthy friendships, adopting healthy lifestyles and positive thoughts are some of the necessary ingredients to build a happy mind.
When we are able to look beyond the negative, recognize that the bad is not permanent or that it does not represent everything in your life, you learn to be a little happier. You adopt greater optimism for yourself, your projects and actions.
Increases emotional intelligence
Being grateful does not mean being unrealistic or ignoring negative day-to-day events. Simply, he is a person willing to find comfort or happiness in the little things in life.
It means learning to be critical and properly interpret situations. It is natural to experience sadness or stress, but gratitude helps us gain perspective on things.
When we do, we avoid falling into a spiral that culminates in emotional distress or anguish. This control over your emotions and critical discernment of what happens to us is an important step in building emotional intelligence.
Increases academic and work performance
Happy, grateful and satisfied people with their lives have more energy and apply healthy habits, which leads to a better state of health. This translates into higher rates of productivity, academic or labor.
Instead, stress and frustration decrease a person’s cognitive abilities, such as memory, learning, and attention. This impacts the development and productivity of the person at work or in her career.
In addition, a grateful person is more likely to form bonds and maintain healthy relationships, essential conditions in careers where teamwork is paramount.
Helps adapt to circumstances
Setbacks are inherent in the daily routine, especially if we embark on big projects. Learning how to deal with these properly is almost a must.
A grateful person does not focus their attention on the negative of what happened, nor on the consequences it entails. He looks for a way to learn from circumstances, shape his abilities, and overcome them.
Contributes to being more aware and focusing on the present
It is natural to think about the events that occurred, to remember positively or negatively, what we could have said or done and what we should not have done. The same happens with the future, we are terrified of uncertainty and possibilities.
However, being grateful brings you to the now. What surrounds you and what affects you, for better or for worse, helps you appreciate the tiny details, imperceptible if we don’t pay attention, but that make our lives happier.
For example, that your partner serves your food first before his and leaves the largest portion for you. It is a small but important detail that many people tend not to appreciate.
How can we apply gratitude?
Being a grateful person does not require a radical personality change. It does require a change, but it must be genuine and it starts from the little things in life.
People have different ways of dedicating thanks to others. Some are direct and tell the other person, others take religious approaches, dedicating a single prayer for the health of the person for whom they are grateful.
We will show you some of the methods you can use to gradually apply gratitude.
focus on the positive
Being grateful is seeing things from a more positive point of view. There are undoubtedly negative consequences when something happens, but the most important thing is to focus on the positive.
It will help you generate a different perspective, which in turn can make it easier to build correct responses, it also prevents us from the stress generated by thinking about the negative aspects of situations.
become aware of the present
As we have already said, thinking about the past or future is natural. However, remember that there are people in the present, willing to help you. Not everything is gray, nor sadness.
To appreciate what others do for others, you only need to stop for a moment, put aside all our anxieties and carefully observe how others help us, in one way or another.
If you didn’t get the job you wanted, remember your potentials, other job possibilities and don’t find yourself alone. If your relationship has ended, remember everything else that is part of your life, that you did not see before.
Be humble
To genuinely thank another requires humility. Recognize the importance of the people close to you and how much they mean to you. Without them, your life would be quite different.
Thank you is not limited to those you know. The person who serves your drink at the cafeteria you frequent also requires gratitude, to know that her work is being valued.
Respect and value yourself
Gratitude is a virtue that can be practiced, just like any other skill. When you develop positive attitudes about unwanted events, you also change the way you act.
While others feel anxious or belittle their own efforts with hurtful thoughts about not achieving their goals, focus on finding what you don’t like within yourself and change it.
Adopt positive thoughts that reinforce how important you are. One mistake does not define you, and as unfortunate as it is, you must overcome it and become a better person to achieve it.
Shows respect and value for others
Not only should you thank others, but you should also let them know. Express freely to your parents, partner, children or friends how much they mean to you and what they do for you.
To the people who work to offer you services or who make your life a little less arduous, in some way or another, they also require thanks.
Also, when you notice someone belittling the efforts of others, don’t hesitate to let them know that they deserve thanks. We must foster an environment where gratitude should be the norm.
Celebrate Successes
A success is any achievement, however big or small. An achievement is not limited to receiving amazing promotions, completing your education or completing impossible tasks.
An achievement is simply completing something you set out to do. Write 1000 words in an hour for your essay, learn to prepare a new dish, fix your garden, etc.
Give thanks because you have been able to complete those minuscule tasks satisfactorily, for the people who made it possible and you will observe how, little by little, you will see things with greater positivity.
say thank you out loud
Don’t be afraid to thank someone in public or thank whoever you feel is responsible for the good things that happen in your life.
Remember that people are not able to read your mind, you must let them know that you do recognize their actions and thank them for it.
Practice Meditation
An effective form of meditation is as follows: at the end of the day, sit down and write on a piece of paper 3-5 things for which you feel grateful. The idea of this mental exercise is to stimulate your mind to think about things that we usually ignore.
When your mind lets go of the usual distractors, it begins to notice small details and gestures on the part of others. From the fact that in your life there are people you care about.
In this sense, a study published in the Journal of School Psychology showed that those adolescents who practiced this method felt more satisfied and happy with their lives than those who did not, even three weeks later.
Focus on what you perceive through your senses
The air you breathe, the water you feel running through your skin, the dawn and sunset that delight your gaze are common events of our day to day. But things that most people don’t appreciate for having.
Many of the things in our life are taken for granted, when in reality they are things that, even if they are small, your life would not be the same if they were not present.
Learn to appreciate everything around you and everything you perceive with your senses. They are small gifts that life, nature, a higher being, or simply luck, provide us and we must be grateful for it.
Importance of gratitude
Gratitude favors our life in many ways, of which you may not be aware.
It promotes physical and mental well-being, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, stimulates our immune system, reduces stress and anxiety, which accelerate the aging process and, in general, are harmful to your body.
From a psychological point of view, a grateful person tends to be happier, develops favorable cognitive abilities, promotes socialization with other people, and by feeling more satisfied with our lives, our productivity increases.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.