Practicing gratitude has shown to accelerate a lot of benefits such as experiencing less stress, better sleep, lower blood pressure, being a boost for your immune function and experiencing a happier life. But did you ever experience ‘a cringe’ when someone feels over-positive (#blessed) or does the idea of saying a mantra to yourself in the mirror make you feel awkward? Then this one's for you: how to practice gratitude and change your perception while being authentic with it.
It’s important to realize that your feelings are not completely based on your perspective only. According to research 40% of your happiness is perception, 10% is life experiences and 50% are genetic factors. If you’re suffering from a mental illness the practice of gratitude could benefit your perspective but other interventions like therapy may still be necessary. On the bright side it states that we have 40% control over our perception of happiness.
Gratitude is about acknowledging both the good and bad situations in your life, while allowing yourself to feel happy, excited and positive when good things happen to you. The goal is to be always aware of both the good and the bad, and appreciate the good without denying the bad. If you feel pressured to look positive at a stressful or sad situation you actually shut yourself down. Take the time to sit with these emotions, understand why it makes you feel as it does and balance the acknowledgement of these difficult times with other things in your life that are going well.
Our tips to start the day embracing both sides of life:
‘STOP & SMELL THE ROSES’ Whenever something good happens during your day take a tiny break and give yourself a mental reminder that something good just happened to you. Whether it’s receiving a positive email, enjoying a great cup of coffee, having a fun chat with someone. The more realisation you have during a day the easier it will get.
DO SOMEONE A FAVOR No string attached. Doing something kind and genuine for someone is a daily gratitude practice that works both ways.
GIVE IT TIME The benefits of gratitude won’t happen overnight. Set yourself a goal of a few weeks or even months to develop this skill. Understand that some days you will enjoy it, some days you turn against it and some days you will forget it. Try to create a routine for yourself throughout the day where you plan a few moments of reflection.
BE THANKFUL We tend to have high expectations for the people around us and therefore we take a lot for granted. Thanking people around you for ‘the little things’ creates a sense of being noticed and appreciated, which will have a positive effect on your relationships.
We would love to hear your lessons! Send us a DM on instagram @peoplesplacegym.
Gratitude and perspective go hand in hand. Without changing your perspective it will be difficult to feel grateful for some aspects in your life and it will create inguine vocalization of gratitude.
At peak moments of feeling stressed and overwhelmed it feels like that’s all that matters. The key to perspective is to fully embrace the fact that even the most challenging moments will pass. How you deal with these moments can make a significant impact on your (mental) health, relationships, diet and the situation itself. Five strategies from a therapist that might help you in the heat of the moment:
INNER MONOLOGUE Don’t treat your inner monologue as a fact. During times of stress that voice will be negative and filled with anxiety, anger, envy or other negative feelings. Be aware that the situation is creating this conversation and deliberately stop the negative monologue and try to replace it with a more balanced one.
NAME YOUR EMOTIONS When having a moment of panic try to pause and take a moment to acknowledge the emotion you’re experiencing. Addressing the emotion you feel such as ‘I’m worried’ or ‘I’m afraid’ can help you take a step further by going into details of your feelings such as ‘I’m worried I’m going to disappoint my manager if I don’t make the deadline’. Expressing these emotions help you to create a solution for your feelings.
THINK ABOUT THE ‘BEST-CASE’ SCENARIO In times of stress we tend to think about the worst-case scenario, which will only heighten our negative feelings around the situation. By conscientiously flipping the situation you experience a brief glimpse how that perspective feels which could create a better balance.
TALK ABOUT IT Express your thoughts and concerns early on. It can be to the person your emotions are directed to or to someone in your support environment. Naming it early can help ‘catching it early’ so the situation doesn’t get out of control.
CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT Physically changing where you are can already make a difference in your mindset. Whether it’s going for a short walk outside, treating yourself to a coffee while having a friendly chat or even working from another room could be beneficial.
We would love to hear your lessons! Send us a DM on instagram @peoplesplacegym.
