Do you want a simple, no-cost, scientifically proven method for improving your mood? Practice a grateful mindset.
Both God’s ancient wisdom and modern science agree that adopting a mindset of gratitude is good for you. Thankfulness is a fruit of the Spirit and Paul writes that you should give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. (1 Thes 5:18)
Why are we told to give thanks no matter our circumstances? Because a grateful mindset helps us shift our focus from our troubles and frustrations to the many blessings and good things that are also true in our lives.
Many scientists have studied the impact of gratitude and have found that:
“gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
Harvard Health Publishing website
Unfortunately, a grateful mindset doesn’t come naturally for most of us. We have to practice it, just like we need to practice joy.
Three tips for establishing a grateful mindset
Make a vow. Set an intention to become a more grateful person. “I want to become a person who is more grateful every day.” Or, “I want become better at noticing the things I have to be grateful about in my daily life.”
Speak up. A grateful mindset can be contagious. When we express our gratitude to others (either by directly thanking them or by mentioning something we are thankful for), it strengthens our gratitude habit and helps others gain a more grateful mindset, too. Gratitude can lead to an upward spiral, just as ingratitude can lead to a downward one.
Write it down. Record your daily gratitude musings in a journal, notebook, note app, (or even the back of an envelope). The action of writing something helps it stick in memory and forces us to put things in concrete language. If you are already a journaler, add daily gratitude to your practice. If you don’t journal, try keeping a simple gratitude list for a few weeks. You can use the downloadable Grateful Mindset Worksheet to get started.
7 tips for finding reasons to be grateful
Focus on people over stuff. The people we love and the kindness we receive from others are often the best and most profound reasons for gratitude.
Move past the general. The more specific details you identify about why you are grateful about something, the more it impacts you.
Look at things from new angles. Thankful for your morning coffee again? Try to come up with new and slightly different reason for it today.
Consider the things you are glad did not happen. For example, being grateful for getting home safely on snowy roads or not losing power during a bad storm.
Consider your senses. Focusing on our five senses can lead us to new reasons to be grateful. The scent of orange peel, the warmth of a cup of tea, the sound of children laughing or a cat purring. Savor these things.
Focus on the “invisible” background. We can be grateful for tons of things we take for granted, such as: central heating, a car that runs, a healthy body, janitors, bus drivers, grass and trees, and sunshine.
Celebrate victories. We can thank God every time we successfully overcome a tough situation, resist a bad habit, or do the good things we intend to do (like remembering to record our daily gratitude list).
TRY IT
Ready to strengthen your grateful mindset? These five questions will guide you as you look for things to be grateful for today. If you prefer to answer them on paper, you can download the Grateful Mindset Worksheet here.
- Who am I thankful for today? And why?
- What kind acts have I noticed or experienced today?
- What blessings or good things make my life better today?
- What beautiful things (or acts) have I noticed today?
- What victories am I thankful for today?
