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How Gratitude Changed My Life for the Better

May 31, 2022 By Sasha Brown Leave a Comment

I used to be a pretty negative person. I was getting sick due to pressures from all angles in my life and didn’t know how else to think. But then something amazing happened. I started practicing gratitude daily, and my life slowly started to change for the better.

man who is stressed
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

The benefits of gratitude are countless, and it’s a practice that can truly change your life for the better. If you’re not sure where to start, try writing down 5 things you’re grateful for every day. It might seem like a small thing, but it can make a big difference.

In this post, I’ll share with you how giving thanks with a grateful heart changed my life, and how it can change yours too.

Table of Contents

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  • Why I Started a Gratitude Practice
  • How Gratitude Has Helped Me
  • What Science Says About Gratitude
  • The Effects of Gratitude Practice on Health and Wellbeing
  • How to Start Your Gratitude Practice
  • Tips for Making Gratitude a Habit

Why I Started a Gratitude Practice

I’m not sure when or how it happened, but at one point in my life, I thought I was going to die.

I became so stressed that I didn’t know what would happen next.

I went to numerous doctors and no one could help. And as a result, my life slowly started to unravel.

My health was falling apart and I was constantly stressed. It was only when I started to focus on gratitude that everything changed.

I started to meditate every night, thinking of the things I could do to help myself. And slowly but surely, my life started to improve. After numerous researches and reading testimonials from online health forums, my health started to improve and I became a more positive person overall. 

How Gratitude Has Helped Me

grateful sign

There are countless benefits to gratitude, both mentally and physically. And I can say from firsthand experience that practicing gratitude has had a profoundly positive impact on my life.

When I started being more intentional about gratitude, I began to see a shift in my mindset. I became more positive, optimistic, and content. Grateful thoughts led to grateful actions, which resulted in me having a balanced view of health and sickness.

But it’s not just me who has benefitted from my gratitude practice; science has shown that gratitude has tangible benefits as well. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that gratitude exercise led to reductions in blood pressure, optimism, more happiness, and increased sleep quality.

So if you’re looking for a way to improve your life, start by being grateful for the good things you already have and accept what you cannot change.

What Science Says About Gratitude

According to research, gratitude has a host of benefits for our mental and physical health.

Gratitude reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and even has physical health benefits, like combating mental health issues and improving heart health.

The best part is that gratitude is a practice that we can all do, no matter what our circumstances are. It’s simply a matter of taking the time to be thankful for the good in our lives.

I’m so grateful that I discovered the power of gratitude early on in my life. It’s helped me to become a happier and more positive person, and I know it can do the same for you.

The Effects of Gratitude Practice on Health and Wellbeing

woman on top of mountain
Photo by Charlotte Karlsen on Unsplash

It’s hard to overstate the positive impacts that gratitude has on our lives. Simply put, gratitude makes us feel good – both mentally and physically. And the great news is that anyone can reap the benefits of it, regardless of age, occupation, or lifestyle.

I know firsthand how gratitude can change your life for the better. Since I started practicing gratitude regularly, my mood has improved, I’ve been less stressed and I’ve had fewer negative thoughts. 

My health has also improved as a result of my increased sense of awareness. Most importantly, I’ve found that I’m happier and more content with my life now than ever before. I don’t need a doctor to tell me that it’s all in my head.

How to Start Your Gratitude Practice

The great thing about gratitude is that anyone can do it. It doesn’t require any special tools or skills, and you can start today without even leaving your home.

There are a few different ways to get started with gratitude, so find the one that works best for you. One way is to simply keep a journal and write down five things you’re grateful for each day. This can be anything from your wonderful family to the sun shining down on you.

You could also make a list of things you can do to help the situation on your own. This is a great way to track your own progress.

If you want to take things up a notch, try meditating on your blessings each morning or evening. This is a great way to connect with your innermost thoughts and feelings of gratitude.

No matter how you choose to express gratitude, the important thing is to just do it! And don’t forget to thank yourself, too. You’re the one who’s made all the progress so far.

Tips for Making Gratitude a Habit

gratitude journal

It’s not always easy to be grateful, especially when life gets tough. But with a little bit of effort, you can make gratitude a habit and reap the benefits it has on your health and wellbeing.

Here are a few tips for making gratitude a habit:

  1. Make time each to think about things you’re grateful for.
  2. Say thank you to the people in your life who have done something nice for you.
  3. Make a habit of giving back and helping others. Tell someone how you’ve overcome a particular challenge. In my case, I blog about health and organic living so others can benefit.
  4. Keep a gratitude journal and reflect on all the good things that have happened in your life over the past week or month.

Resource: Gratitude Journal Prompts for 365 Days

Conclusion

It’s hard to put into words just how grateful I am for all the good that has come into my life since I started practicing gratitude. It’s not like everything was terrible before, but my life definitely wasn’t as good as it is now.

There have been a lot of studies on the effects of gratitude practice on health and wellbeing, and they all show that gratitude has benefits for both the body and the mind. Some of the benefits include increased happiness, reduced stress, and better sleep quality.

Gratitude has had a huge impact on my life, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to improve their life for the better.

Do you have a gratitude practice? How has it changed your life? Share in the comments.

Author Profile
Sasha Brown

Sasha is a prolific writer with a passion for health and wellness, and organic farming. When not online, she loves to garden and spend time with her family. She's the co-owner of DreCampbell.com.

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Filed Under: Blog, Gratitude Tagged With: how can gratitude change your life, how gratitude improves health and wellbeing

About Sasha Brown

Sasha is a prolific writer with a passion for health and wellness, and organic farming. When not online, she loves to garden and spend time with her family. She's the co-owner of DreCampbell.com.

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