A Few Ways To Become More Grateful

Some of us are born with grateful personalities.  Others of us are of the negative sort; we act more like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.  We’re blue, down and always looking at the bad side of things.  That is not good nor is it good for us.

Having a grateful attitude can greatly influence your physical health and mental well-being.  It makes you a happier more well-rounded individual.  Studies have repeatedly shown that having a positive attitude helps people bounce back more quickly from illness and live longer in general.  Have a grateful disposition also makes you less likely to fall ill to a mental illness such as depression or anxiety.

But how can we become more grateful?  If we aren’t naturally born with that personality trait, is all lost?  The answer is no.  Being grateful is a skill that can easily be acquired with a little practice and a minor change of your daily habits.  Read on to find out how.

Get yourself in the habit of being grateful.  Slow down and allow yourself to enjoy moments instead of plowing through life.  Relax and enjoy things more and you will find yourself more becoming more grateful almost immediately.  For example, instead of a coffee that you throw back without thought, take time to enjoy the taste and rich smell it has.

Be purposeful in the quest to becoming grateful.  Decide to notice a certain number of things to be grateful for each day.  Whatever the number you decide on using, write them down.  Many people do this in a little notebook but index cards also work well because they can be looked back over easily to see the good moments you recorded.

Choose to express gratitude.  Don’t just go through the motions of saying thank you for the sake of politeness, take time to look the person in the eye when they pick something up you drop or hold the door open for you.  It only takes a few seconds and you will be glad you did.

Being grateful makes you feel better all around.