Attitude of Gratitude

"I'm happy because I'm grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy." - Will Arnett. The other morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I was super cranky and everything seemed to annoy me. As the afternoon went on I noticed my irritation towards everything was getting worse, and I was so unpleasant I didn't even want to be around myself. I knew I needed an attitude adjustment. I had to pause for a moment and remind myself that I was responsible for fixing my bad mood. I didn't have to fix it and it was my choice, but why spend my whole day like that? I did a quick mood check from 1-10 and my irritation seemed to about a 7.5. I ran through different options in my head of things that could help me turn my attitude around. I remembered how important gratitude was and how wonderful if can make you feel so I decided to make a gratitude list. I made a list of things that had upset me that morning and corrected them with something I could be grateful for instead. After making my gratitude list and spending a bit of time reflecting on it I redid my mood check and instead of being at a 7.5 I noticed was no longer experiencing irritation but was being filled with gratitude instead. I could really see and feel the power of gratitude and how it can overpower negative emotions.

Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation or thanks, and it is a tool that improves our wellbeing. A lot of the time it means pausing to notice and appreciate the things we often take for granted. Gratitude is a practice that turns what we have into enough and is something that can be felt an expressed. A few ways a person can practice gratitude is by

• keeping a gratitude journal

• making a gratitude list

• meditate on things you're grateful for

• create gratitude collage

• do a random act of kindness

• idetify atleast 1 thing you appreciate

• find a lesson you can take away from the situation

Gratitude can change our brains. People who are more grateful have more activity in the medial prefrontal cortex which is associated with learning and decision making. Gratitude builds overtime and can have many positive effects on our physical and psychological health. Gratitude strengthens our overall health by

• experiencing more positive emotions

• lowers blood pressure

• improves sleep quality

• increases resilience

• strengthens immune system

•combats depression

• improves emotional regulation

• strengthens and improves relationships

• reduced stress, burnout, and ptsd symptoms

" Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for abundance." - Eckhart Tolle. It takes a conscious effort to experience gratitude and to feel thankful. Ask yourself...when was the last time you felt grateful? What what were you grateful for? Why did you feel grateful? And how did you express your gratitude?