How an 'attitude of gratitude' will increase your happiness
'Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things' Robert Brault
Gratitude makes you happier. Here's how...
I encountered a very wise man a little while ago.
I was giving a talk for a holistic group. The venue was the upstairs room of a social club.
'What's your talk about?' the stranger asked as I passed through the downstairs bar.
'Lifting depression' I responded.
'Well, if you want the cure for depression', he said, 'pass on one tip from me..'
'What's that?' I asked
'Be grateful', he said with a smile, and went back to his pint and newspaper.
Gratitude and happiness
Many of us have come to believe that true happiness comes from the acquisition of things; more money, a bigger house, the smartest car. These can help but, the deeper truth is that the choice to be happy comes from within.
And there is little doubt that expressing gratitude makes you happier.
One of the quickest ways to enhance your mood and harness motivational energy is to adopt an 'attitude of gratitude'. People who regularly practice gratitude exercises are reported to have more energy, increased emotional intelligence, less depression and anxiety, better sleep and greater sense of connection.
There are many ways to practice.
The one I often recommend to clients involves 'end of day gratitude'.
As you fall asleep, there is no better reflective exercise than to consider those positive things from the day for which you are grateful, whether they are goals you've achieved, places you've been, people you've encountered or even sights, sounds or fragrances you have savoured and enjoyed.
This daily exercise helps you 'rewire your brain' to search for the positives and, in my experience, is a powerful antidote to the negative lens which can underpin low mood and depression.
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