Mindfulness: A Guide to Gratitude
Gratitude is more than simply saying ‘thank you.’ It’s expressing appreciation for what you have. It’s recognising the things beyond a price tag. By adopting a practice of gratitude, we can shift our mindset to better enjoy what we do have rather than nit-picking or focusing on what is missing and what we could have done better.
Research shows that practising gratitude on a regular basis can lead to:
- Prosocial behaviour
- Increased optimisation and hope
- Higher life satisfaction and happiness
- Increased self-esteem and confidence
- Healthier ways to cope with stress and negative emotions
Belle About Town spoke to Vanessa Gebhardt, Mind Coach at Freeletics, the AI-based fitness and mindset coaching resource.
Vanessa says: “Building your capacity for gratitude isn’t difficult, It just takes practice. The more you can bring your attention to that which you feel grateful for, the more you’ll notice around you to feel grateful for!”
Read on for Vanessa’s advice on ways to express and practice gratitude:
- Keep a gratitude journal
Social media often monopolises our day and while it can be a great tool for motivating you to get fitter, healthier and happier, it can often be toxic. Logging off for a few hours and removing yourself from this unrealistic digital world can improve your anxiety and sleep, as well as reduce stress and change your mood to make you feel happier. Swap the time you usually spend on social media to spending time journaling and writing down what you appreciate and are grateful for. To begin with, this could be short lists of things which are positive about your day and as you get more used to writing daily, you can start to expand this practice by expanding on these points and detailing why they make you happy, feel good and thankful.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
Meditation is a great way to take a second alone with your thoughts and feelings. This allows you to maintain a level of happiness and peace within yourself. When you meditate you are allowing yourself to clear your mind and remove any negative thoughts that you might have. Taking a few minutes each day to just sit down and meditate will improve your mindset, making you think more positively. If you’re not sure where to start, Freeletics offers a mindset programme which gives users access to a wide range of audio courses that aim to teach and demonstrate mindfulness techniques to help users understand the benefits of practicing mindfulness and how it can help them in all aspects of their life.
- Focus on the Little Things
By training our mind to appreciate the little moments of success, we cultivate a resilient mindset that helps to tune into the present moment. To get started, grab your journal and write out ‘5 things you are grateful for today and why.’ Seeing this physical reminder of the goodness in your life can help you when you start to feel down, or feel negative feelings creeping in.
- Manage your expectations
When you set realistic expectations and goals, you are less likely to be disappointed by the outcome. Remember that you cannot control everything, and that memories and important lessons are often made and learned from “failures”.
- Take some time to yourself
Taking time for yourself to re-evaluate what is important can be incredibly beneficial and will allow you to see things more clearly. Journaling can be especially helpful here. However, taking time for yourself can be done doing anything you enjoy. Going for a long walk, practicing some yoga, or simply taking a long warm bath can be just the tonic you need to better understand your emotions and feel more positive.
