Attitude of Gratitude: How to Build a Habit of Thankfulness

One of the best choices we can make is to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, stop complaining, and start deciding to be grateful for what we have. This is a huge choice that can literally transform our lives.

Benefits of Expressing Gratitude

• It improves physical health – grateful people take better care of themselves and experience fewer aches and pains.
• It increases happiness and decreases depression – taking the focus off ourselves can have great emotional benefits.
• It reduces stress and increases resilience – the more aware we are of our blessings, the less likely we are to focus on the negative things in our lives.

3 Easy Ways to Develop Gratitude

1. Write it down – take a few minutes every day to write down your blessings. This will focus your attention away from the negative and toward the positive.
2. Tell someone else – this is a way of reinforcing the positive feelings you're developing. Sharing gratitude multiplies it.
3. Give back – get into the habit of telling people that you appreciate them and why. A note, card, email, or text is a great way to let people know how much their kindness meant to you.

The more you get into the habit of recognizing and acknowledging the good things in your life, the more you'll have. This is a habit that literally feeds on itself — in a good way. So go ahead, find something good and give thanks for it. You'll be glad you did!