"It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful." ~ David Steindl-Rast.
"I am happy because I am grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy." ~ Will Arnett
Notice a pattern in these quotes? Grateful, joyful, grateful, joyful. One affects the other.
In some way, gratitude and joy can be compared to the egg and chicken saga—which one came first? It is hard to give a definite answer as, in most cases, one cannot exist without the other—they are intertwined.
Are you happy that you get to go on your dream vacation, or thankful? We would guess both! By being grateful, we experience more joy, and when we experience joy, we are thankful.
But how can we rewire our brains to experience even more joy and less stress in our daily lives? 'Cause let's be honest, most of us cannot go on dream vacations 365 days a year (we wish!)
By making it a daily habit to practice gratitude.
12 Ways to practice gratitude and be more thankful
Make this a daily or weekly practice, no matter how insignificant the things may seem. This can be a fun activity with your kids when they go to bed, at dinner with family, or simply expressing them aloud when you're alone.
Jot down the moments from your day that mattered or made you feel good and thankful. When you're having a rough day or going through troubles, you can look back through your journal pages and reflect on all the blessings in your life. Try to be specific on what you are grateful for and elaborate on the details.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but a simple act we tend to neglect because we take people for granted. Couples and families that express gratitude toward one another regularly set up a powerful feedback loop of intimacy, trust, appreciation, and paying it forward.
Thanking yourself for all the good and healthy habits you cultivated in your life can instill a sense of self-love and self-confidence. In return, motivating you to want the same for others.
When you're feeling happy and in a great mood, stop for a minute and pay attention to why exactly you are currently feeling this way. What is contributing to this feeling? Notice how you feel so you can appreciate it all and remember this special memory on another occasion.
It may be easier said than done, but try to find a benefit, a possible positive outcome, or something to be thankful for in every difficult challenge. Not getting that promotion? Be grateful that you still have a job and can possibly start that side hustle you always dreamt about.
Robert Emmons says people are more likely to feel grateful when focusing on others rather than getting caught up on their own feelings or how things should have gone. Empathy for others can cultivate a greater sense of gratitude.
When struggling, we often face a brick wall and cannot see beyond it, becoming fixated on the challenge. Instead, try to find something to feel grateful for and imagine how it could have been; put yourself in the shoes of someone experiencing greater misfortunes than your own.
By remembering challenging times in the past that you overcame and the progress you have made, you intentionally create a direct contrast in your mind, setting the stage for gratefulness. Remember that gratitude journal? Now is a time to reflect back on all your blessings!
Be conscious of your daily language and how you express yourself. You can program your mind into believing repeated statements and concepts using a grateful linguistic style and words such as thankful, grateful, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance.
Two main obstacles to gratefulness are a lack of mindful awareness and forgetfulness. It is human nature to remember/see the bad more than the good. Visual reminders can trigger thoughts of gratitude and remind us of all the good.
Volunteering at a local shelter, soup kitchen, or non-profit will make you more grateful for all your blessings and the things you may take for granted. Studies have shown that volunteering to help others increases our well-being and our ability to have more gratitude.
