It’s simple. I love my weekends and what better way to start it than by attending a concert with my friend? Simple Minds were playing at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Wow! The stadium was packed, the band put on a great show and we were just soaking up the fun surrounding us.
As I looked at the stars during one song, I realised again how lucky I am. It’s late January and we were outside (I admit the 21C/70F did feel cold though). It was a Thursday night, last day of our working week, and we were being entertained by a fabulous band from my childhood. I was spending the evening with one of my closest friends. I was simply grateful for what life gave me.
Gratitude which is defined as “being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.” can be such a cool thing. What are you grateful for?
Grateful people express their appreciation for what they already have, as various studies have shown. They are also able to differentiate between what they already have and what they want and may not focus on the material things in life.
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
It’s been shown that grateful people are healthier. They take care of themselves by exercising, having regular medical check-ups and not smoking. Hill, Allemand and Roberts discovered that grateful people also seek help for health concerns quicker.
Gratitude reduces stress and depression. It’s been used as an intervention in clinical psychology to reduce depression and increase happiness.
Grateful people get better quality of sleep, are able to fall asleep faster and get the appropriate amount of sleep for them.
Keeping a gratitude journal increases positive moods and more positive views on life in general. Different studies have been conducted to define the best approach to journaling. People, who note down their blessings on a daily basis, had the highest scores on their positivity. However, it was also discovered that less regular entries are beneficial.
Gratitude can also be expressed in other ways than journaling. Be creative in saying thanks. If you need inspirations to sing, draw or craft your gratitude, click here.
Rather than comparing you and your relationship to the Jones’, being grateful for what you have also improves your relationship. It’s actually been proven that gratefulness strengthens the relationship and makes you sexier for your partner.
That looks like a lot of benefits to me but why aren’t more people jumping on the grateful wagon? How do you show or express your gratitude? I’d love to hear what you are doing. Just leave a comment.
Until next time,
Agni