November is National Gratitude Month. Gratitude encompasses more than just saying “thank you.” Incorporating an attitude of gratitude into your life can give you a deeper connection to yourself and those around you, leading to greater well-being.
For most people, however, living a life full of gratitude does not come easily. As humans, we tend to focus on the negative, the problems that need to be addressed. Refocusing on the positive, especially when those things seem trivial by comparison, take an intentional effort. Taking time to downshift, one the Blue Zones Project® Power 9® principles, means finding a quiet time and space away from daily stress and distractions. Incorporating a scheduled time to downshift provides a great opportunity to start cultivating a gratitude practice.
How does one start a gratitude practice? Here are three ideas:
- Take time each morning or before bed to think of three things you are grateful for and focus on those things.
- Start a gratitude journal. Make a commitment to write down good things that happen to you during the day.
- Practice gratitude rituals. Give thanks before meals, smile at a stranger every day, write a kind note daily to a child, co-worker, or friend.
Once you start growing in gratitude, you may need to go one step further. Surrounding yourself with people who focus on the negative in their lives and the world around them can make it more difficult for you to focus on the positive. Harvard’s Framingham Study showed that your friend’s friends’ friends—people you don’t even know—have the ability to affect your health, happiness, and behaviors. Attitudes, both positive and negative, can be as contagious at the common cold. Surrounding yourself with other grateful people, what Blue Zones Project calls your Right Tribe, can be an important first step to having the right outlook on life.
"Gratitude is an essential ingredient of a happy, fulfilling life," said Stacey Grewal, who wrote the book Gratitude and Goals. "Research shows that practicing daily gratitude can enhance our moods, decrease stress, and drastically improve our overall level of well-being. On average, grateful people tend to be happier, healthier, more physically fit, have a higher income and have much more satisfying personal and professional relationships.”
This month incorporate an attitude of gratitude into your life. You’ll develop a deeper connection to yourself and those around you, leading to greater well-being.