Gratitude will Change your Life!
Gratitude - Gratitude, thankfulness or gratefulness, from the Latin word gratus "pleasing, thankful", is a feeling of appreciation felt by and/or similar positive response shown by the recipient of kindness, gifts, help, favors, or other types of generosity, to the giver of said gifts.
The difference between Gratitude & Thankful
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word thankful as “pleased and relieved.” Both of those are great feelings. ... The Oxford Dictionary defines the word grateful as “showing an appreciation of kindness.” This is where the difference lies; being thankful is a feeling, and being grateful is an action.
Gratitude and Your Brain
The reasons why gratitude is so impactful to health and well-being begin in the brain. In a neurological experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging as subjects were induced to feel gratitude by receiving gifts. The areas of the brain showing increased activity were the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—those associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment. This led to the conclusion that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors.
Gratitude activates the hypothalamus as well, with downstream effects on metabolism, stress, and various behaviors. The hypothalamus is located at the base of the brain and regulates hormones responsible for many critical functions, such as body temperature, emotional responses, and survival functions like appetite and sleep. One of the neurochemicals associated with the parts of the brain affected by gratitude is dopamine, a pleasure hormone.
How can gratitude change your life?
Gratitude brings us happiness: Through research by Robert Emmons, happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky, and many other scientists, practicing gratitude has proven to be one of the most reliable methods for increasing happiness and life satisfaction; it also boosts feelings of optimism, joy, pleasure, enthusiasm, and other positive emotions.
Grateful people sleep better: They get more hours of sleep each night, spend less time awake before falling asleep, and feel more refreshed upon awakening. If you want to sleep more soundly, count blessings, not sheep.
Gratitude strengthens relationships: It makes us feel closer and more committed to friends and romantic partners. When partners feel and express gratitude for each other, they each become more satisfied with their relationship. Gratitude may also encourage a more equitable division of labor between partners.
Gratitude is good for kids: Children as young as six or seven are more generous when they’re feeling grateful, and grateful adolescents tend to be more resilient. When 10-19 year olds practice gratitude, they report greater life satisfaction and more positive emotion, and they feel more connected to their community.
The websites above have great information about how gratitude can change the chemicals in your brain to help you with upliftment and expansion. Please check them out so you have some more tools in your toolbar to assist yourself and your love ones!
Gratitude will expand your heart, bring you to a more appreciative and loving place. It will assist in calming you so you have the ability to achieve your goals. Love yourself enough to be grateful, it will help you understand what you can change within yourself with ease and grace.
Focus on what you are grateful for - be truthful and sincere in your gratitude. Start a Gratitude Journal or scrapbook refer to it. Get your Family involved with the journal. This is great for the positivity in and outside the home.
Every day for the next week post on social media what you are grateful for that day! This will help you create the habit of being grateful and see how your attitude changes and how awesome your week is!
Keep your heart open and aligned with the energy of LOVE!
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