Expressing gratitude is a practice of appreciating what you are grateful for in your life. Perhaps expressing gratitude may feel like it is too simple to make a difference in how you feel and perhaps seems inaccessible during challenging times. However, it is a practice that can increase your overall quality of life.
When practiced consistently, it can reap positive effects on your mental health and wellness.
How Does Practicing Gratitude Impact My Health?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), practicing gratitude helps you cope with stress. This helps to lower levels of anxiety and depression and regulate emotions that perpetuate stress. Reducing stress can impact your physical health as well.
How Can I Practice Gratitude?
There is no right or wrong way to practice gratitude. However, a good starting place is to give yourself a moment to be still and allow yourself to take the intentional time to reflect on what you are grateful for.
If you are used to rushing through your day and doing everything you can to avoid being still, this may be challenging at first. However, with practice, it gets easier over time.
4 Ways to Practice Gratitude
Below are some ideas on how you could practice gratitude in your life:
#1. Create a gratitude list in a journal, on your phone, or a designated document on your computer. Write a specific reason — or reasons — you are grateful for each thing that comes to mind.
#2. Consistently take five to ten minutes during the day to reflect on what and who you are feeling especially grateful for.
#3. Go on a gratitude walk where you walk with the intention to connect with and name what and who you are feeling grateful for.
#4. Before going to bed, find a special object that has an important meaning for you. Hold onto it, and think about the parts of the day you are grateful for.
Practicing gratitude is just that: a practice. It can be done at any time and anywhere to anchor yourself in the present moment and remind yourself of the good things that are happening for you, even when there are parts of life that feel hard.Â
Practicing gratitude can serve as an anchor in your life as you navigate healing and recovery. It is a powerful way to center yourself in chaotic and stressful times and connect back to what is good in your life, even when aspects of it feel challenging, uncertain, or overwhelming. At Avalon Malibu, we see cultivating acceptance of yourself and your life as part of the recovery process. We are here to support you in a safe, secure, and healing environment. To learn more, call us today at (844) 857-5992.Â
