Balance your mood.
We thank people several times a day, whether it's the person who serves you a coffee or when someone lets you out in traffic.
But gratitude runs deeper than the simple act of saying thank you. Gratitude is intrinsically linked to feeling present, being mindful of your situation and appreciating the value of things.
Practising gratitude works best when you find a moment to stop to acknowledge and then express your feelings of appreciation.
OVERVIEW
THE WHY
Practising gratitude contributes to your mental fitness. Being grateful generates more positive emotions, making you feel more optimistic and better about life.
By practising gratitude, you can more easily ground yourself in the present, acknowledging what is going right for you and building mental fitness through reinforcing feelings of safety and security.
Gratitude naturally leads to acts of kindness towards others through expressions of genuine thanks or through reciprocal behaviour which can help build and maintain your network of friends and loved ones.
By practising gratitude, you can recognise the advantages of the current situation and reduce the requirement to drive towards something new, thus strengthening your soothe system. To understand more about our Threat, Drive and Soothe systems, have a look at the the Emotional Regulation Model.
Exercise
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CHECK: To practice gratitude, we must pause. Check in. And take account of our present situation.
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CHALLENGE: Challenge negative thoughts. It is too easy in today's world of social media and 24-hour newsfeeds to think that everything is going wrong. Challenge this perception and take stock of your own life.
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CHANGE: Change your behaviour by choosing three things each day for which you are grateful. Write them down and use them as reference in the future.
Take the time to tell people you are grateful for even the simple things that perhaps you have been taking for granted.
LISTEN TO THE TOOL