Why Expressing Gratitude Helps Your Mental Health

Why Expressing Gratitude Helps Your Mental Health

Expressing gratitude helps your mental health. There are some pretty simple but powerful reasons why. Read on to find out more!

Everyone is always discussing the importance of being more grateful and appreciative for the things you have. It’s important to practice contentment and learn what it truly means to be thankful. During these trying times, gratitude is even more important! Research shows that expressing gratitude can even help with your mental health! 

gratitude helps mental health

Why is gratitude important

Gratitude is something that rarely gets talked about outside of Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving season. But the reality is that we need to focus on something during the rest of the year. 

When we practice gratitude and learn to be content with ourselves and our lives, we stop focusing on all the things we don’t have. We stop continually striving for more and learn to be present and enjoy what we have. This can not only help our mood and fight depression, but it can also help us from having a greedy or ungrateful mindset.

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Benefits of gratitude 

Gratitude has so many benefits beyond being grateful. Practicing gratitude focuses on the positive things in your life, which can help you be happier. This can relieve stress and depression and even make your whole life happier. Gratitude practice also changes your outlook on life. People who practice gratitude regularly are usually more optimistic and typically have a better outlook on life.

When you make the intentional decision to focus on gratitude, you can start to focus on the things that matter in your life. When you aren’t stressing about the money you don’t have or the neighbor’s new car, it’s a lot easier to be happy.

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mental health and Gratitude

Gratitude has so many benefits that go beyond learning to love your life and the things you have. Gratitude can also help you work through some difficulties that you may be experiencing mentally as well.

For example, if you’re worried that your family could run out food, it’s easy to remind yourself that you started a stockpile months ago, so your family will be fine on food. You have so many things to be grateful for and that even though many bad things are happening in your life, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many good things also happening.

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Ways to cultivate gratitude

Gratitude allows us to give thanks for what we have and what we have to be thankful for in our lives. Instead of always reaching for more and continually striving for something new, gratitude can help change our focus. Practicing regular gratitude changes our mindset to focusing on contentment rather than what we lack.

Here are some ways you can practice gratitude regularly:

  • Write thank-you notes
  • Thank someone for their help
  • Keep a gratitude journal
  • Count your blessings
  • Meditate
  • Spend time with your loved ones
  • Volunteer
  • Making a list of things you have to be grateful for

Gratitude doesn’t come easy for everyone; however, if you’re currently experiencing a time of loss and unhappiness, it may be time to think about spending more time on gratitude. Gratitude is a compelling emotion and can help you get through even the most difficult times.

Now that you know why expressing gratitude helps your mental health, check out these posts just for Mom too!

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