Have you ever felt overwhelmed by stress? Do you have days you feel that simply nothing goes right? Do you see other people who appear so happy and wish you felt like that? I know I have. One critical tool in overcoming those feelings is having a practice of gratitude. Here I explain nine different gifts of living a grateful life, and four easy steps to achieving a better attitude of gratitude.

The Gifts of Gratitude

How can living a more grateful life benefit us? How would having an attitude of gratitude help me? There so many gifts of practicing gratitude in our life. Here are just a few of them:

1. Joy. When we are feeling grateful, we have a true sensation of happiness. We see how we are blessed, we appreciate our gifts, and we feel a sense of profound joy. Who does not want to feel happier during our day?

2. Less stress. When we practice gratitude, our emotions are better balanced. We feel a sense of calm. If things seem overwhelming, being grateful for the many gifts in our lives can help us to maintain a better perspective. We will see that what bothers us is, on the whole, not really that important, given all that we have to be grateful for.

3.Better Sleep. When we go to bed at night, if we feel grateful, we will sleep better. Studies have shown that. We all know that being stressed and overwhelmed is a recipe for a restless night. When our mind is clear, and we are feeling only positive thoughts, we will enjoy a better and longer night sleep.

4. Improved relationships. Whether it is with your romantic partner, or your friends, when we are practicing gratitude, those relationships improve. We all enjoy being around someone who is expressing gratitude. When we are grateful, we are more calm and empathetic, less aggressive and angry. That supports our relationships with friends and family.

5. Self-esteem. When we are thankful for the gifts that we have, we feel better about ourselves. We stop comparing ourselves to others, reflecting on what we do not have, which always makes us feel worse. We appreciate those around us more. Gratitude can increase our self-esteem.

6. Resilience. Grateful people are more resilient. When we are feeling sorry for ourselves, thinking of what we want that we do not have, the least little obstacle can set us back. But when we are thankful for the many gifts in our lives, we have a very different outlook on hurdles we face. We are much stronger in responding to setbacks.

7. Generosity. When we realize how much we are blessed, we are much more willing to share and give to others whether it be of our time, money, talents or skills. By contrast, when we feel we are a victim, and stressed, the last emotion we feel is that of generosity. Gratitude helps us to become more generous.

8. Optimism. When we are grateful, we focus on the many ways in which we have been blessed. We see and are thankful for the people and circumstances in our life. That creates a hope for the future. We become more optimistic.

9. Purpose. On days when we feel thankful for being able to help others, we are grateful to be of service. We appreciate the talents and experience we have that allows us an opportunity to improve the lives of others. Our work now has greater meaning. We feel a sense of purpose in what we do. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve others.

How to Practice Gratitude 

Those sound like some pretty incredible gifts from feeling more grateful. But when we are in a place where we are overcome with negativity, how can we create that sense of powerful gratitude that can lift us? Here are some steps:

1. Be mindful. Be mindful of the little things that happen each day for which you have to be grateful. You will be amazed how often each day some events occur that are positive. When you are conscious of each moment in your day, and are thankful for each little circumstance that worked out in a positive way, you will feel much more grateful.

2. Express gratitude. When you feel thankful for someone in your life, let them know. Tell them how much you appreciate who they are and what they do. Express to them that you are grateful for how they have supported you. When you express your gratitude to others, you will internally feel much more grateful yourself.

3. Serve others. While we may face many problems in our lives, there are many others less fortunate. Look for opportunities to help others. Be a mentor to a young person in need; help in your church or rec council; volunteer to serve food to the homeless; or find some other avenue that suits your skills and desires to volunteer. When we are of service, we realize that no matter how many things in our life are not what we want them to be, we are in many ways very blessed.

4. Journal daily. My favorite is to have a daily practice of recording what we have to be grateful for. Each and every morning, upon rising, write down three things that you have to be grateful for. The next day, write down three new circumstances in your life for which you are grateful. Do that for 30 days. After the first few days, you will really need to reflect on your life to ascertain new items for which you are grateful, and you will embark on a search for gratitude. You can do it. At the end of 30 days, you will not have recorded 90 different items. Review your gratitude list daily. Look at it before you go to bed. Beginning and ending your day by understanding the many things for which are grateful will give you more strength and resilience during the day and a better night sleep.

Gratitude is a very important tool for handling the many stresses we face as professionals. We can use it to have more energy, be more positive, interact better with those around us, and to be more successful. I am now serving others by coaching them on how to live a more successful and fulfilling life. I would love to connect with you and learn what you are doing, your goals, and your obstacles. If you would like to have a courtesy chat, please schedule a time here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call