Many people especially now tend to grumble and complain at everything and everyone. They think there is little to be thankful for. However, the opposite is true. With this gratitude journal you can tell your own story.
Our lives have been turned upside down for a year now. We are limited in our freedom and have to give up a lot. Many people have fallen for this raw on the roof, so that there is little question of gratitude. Yet it is important to be and remain grateful under all circumstances. Because gratitude has a major influence on our health.
A study of Kentucky University students showed a clear link between increased aggression and gratitude. This was in response to an essay that the students had to write. One half was complimented for this, the other was told that their essay was absolute crap. Of the half who received negative comments, a large proportion reacted aggressively after taking on the teacher in an online game. Only the students who had written an essay on gratitude were mild towards the teacher.
Numerous studies have now supported the above study. Gratitude has been shown to be more than just a feeling. By being grateful you can show more empathy, you are less aggressive and you are less angry.
Now, gratitude can be quite difficult. Depending on the situation you are in. Yet you can also learn to be grateful. You can use a so-called gratitude diary for this.
In Telllis' gratitude journal you can write your own story. The book is divided into several chapters. Every day you can put anything and everything here on two pages. What are you grateful for, how did your day go, what could be improved and much more. That way, you don't just create a diary that you can always browse through if you're having trouble. You should also consciously consider what went well on the day and what you are grateful for.
Once you start writing you will see that there are often quite a few things left to be thankful for. It's not always the big things, but more often it's the little things. The sun shining, the birds in the garden, trees and flowers in bloom or the smile of your child.
It will probably take some getting used to at first. You may not be used to paying attention to small things. However, that is also good training for yourself. A good way to pay attention to things that bring you joy that you never noticed before. After all, it's much easier to pay attention to the things that aren't going well. Your partner who forgets things, your children who do not listen, the work that is against you. We grumble and complain all day long and forget about all the little things that do make us smile.
You will notice that once you spend a few days writing your own story you will get a different mindset. Although many things may not go well, especially not in this time with all the measures, there is still plenty that is going well. Just opening your eyes in the morning and being healthy is something to be thankful for.
Besides keeping a gratitude journal for yourself, you can also integrate gratitude into your life in other ways. Say thank you more often, show that you are grateful that someone is in your life or send a thank you card more often. This is highly recommended, especially in these times, because you not only make yourself feel good, but also someone else.
You can of course say thank you in many ways. You can literally say this to anyone. You can write it down or show it with a small gift. For example with a thank you for teachers at the end of the school year.
What do you do to be more grateful in your life?
