Life today is so busy that it’s often hard to take time out to appreciate everything we have and create an attitude of gratitude. We tend to focus on the challenges that we face, which can leave us feeling stressed about what we have to do, instead of grateful and excited for everything that life is sending our way.
An attitude of gratitude can help to change your outlook on life and can show you that there’s good in every day.
So in this article, we’re going to share with you everything you need to know about cultivating a gratitude attitude. We’ll look at why this could be beneficial to your life and business and a few easy ways to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
What is an attitude of gratitude?
An attitude of gratitude describes the mindset or habit of being thankful for everything in your life. It encourages you to appreciate all you have in life, whether that’s as small as your cup of coffee in the morning or as big as landing a new job.
With a gratitude attitude, you’ll spend more time focusing on the positive aspects of your life. You’ll avoid overthinking any negative situations or challenges you are facing, and it aims to improve your life satisfaction.
Why you should aim to have an attitude of gratitude
Creating an attitude of gratitude is shown to improve life satisfaction and increase feelings of happiness. The activities we’ll share later on can help to increase optimism and reinforce positive emotions in your daily life. For anyone struggling with anxiety or depression, it can be an excellent tool to use alongside your current treatment plan.
A study shared in Harvard Health Publishing suggested that in just ten weeks, a group that wrote down the things they were grateful for each day felt better about their lives and more optimistic for the future. They also noted they visited their doctor less during this study.
The past year has shown us all that our physical health is more important than anything in life. It’s believed that people who cultivate an attitude of gratitude notice fewer pains or aches in their bodies. They often feel healthier than the average person and are much more likely to spend time looking after themselves.
An attitude of gratitude can help to inspire you to exercise more and visit your doctor for check-ups when needed.
This applies to business too
When starting a business or going through a big life change, one area that often takes a knock is our self-esteem. If you struggle with the “what ifs” or thinking you aren’t good enough, a gratitude attitude may help to boost your self-esteem and help you perform at a higher level.
An attitude of gratitude can help to reduce comparison with other people. We are all guilty of scrolling Instagram or Facebook and comparing our lives to someone else’s. An attitude of gratitude can help you focus on what you have and avoid resentment towards others.
Now that you know some of the benefits of creating an attitude of gratitude, you are probably wondering how you can create one for yourself. Let’s take a look at some of the easiest ways that anyone can build a gratitude attitude.
How to create an attitude of gratitude
Creating an attitude of gratitude may seem like an impossible task to some people. However, there are many simple ways in which you can increase your gratitude. Here we’re going to share with you three easy ways to build your attitude of gratitude, which you’ll find are simple and quick to add to your daily routine.
Flex your gratitude muscle
One of the best practices to increase your gratitude attitude is journaling. If you aren’t familiar with journaling, check out our how to get started journaling post, which takes you through the basics.
When it comes to journaling for gratitude, we encourage you to list three things you are grateful for each day. This will help you to start flexing your gratitude muscle. Even during the most mundane days at work, it will help you to find small things in your life to be grateful for.
These three items could be as simple as:
- A fresh cup of coffee in the morning.
- A walk in the park at lunchtime.
- Finishing work in time to have dinner with your family.
As you can see, these items don’t have to be particularly profound or exciting and may be small, everyday tasks or events. However, by paying attention to the smaller things you have to be grateful for, you’ll find that even the toughest days become a little easier in the future.
After a terrible day at work, you probably think there’s absolutely nothing to be grateful for today. By sitting down and writing your gratitude list, you’ll soon look back and realise it wasn’t all so bad. You can do this type of journaling in the morning as part of a slow morning routine or at night to suit your current schedule.
Journaling is a very personal practice, so don’t think about it being right or wrong, and instead, do what feels right to you.
Tell people when you’re grateful
One of the easiest ways to develop a gratitude attitude is to speak it out. When friends, family members, or co-workers do something that you’re grateful for, just tell them. You could also share your praise for them being part of your life, which will help to boost their self-esteem as well as yours.
Don’t worry about using the word grateful, instead, you could think of more natural ways to thank them for being part of your life.
A few examples of this include:
- Thank you for helping me with that project today. I couldn’t have done it without you!
- I appreciate you cooking dinner for me every night. It really saves me time after work.
- I loved our time away together – we should do it again soon!
By sharing how you feel with the other people in your life, you’ll soon make an attitude of gratitude a natural part of your communication.
While you’ll notice all of the benefits of a gratitude attitude, sharing your gratitude can also help lift up the other people around you. They’ll soon notice a difference in your attitude and start to take on aspects of this attitude themselves.
Slow down and enjoy the simple things in life
We’re often so busy working and looking after our families that life passes us by in the blink of an eye. Another way to develop gratitude is to slow down a little and notice the small things you enjoy each day. By taking notice of these smaller aspects of your life, you’ll develop a new appreciation for everything you have in this current moment.
We all tend to focus on the bigger things in life, such as going on holiday or landing a job promotion. Enjoying life’s simple pleasures makes every day more special, and there are plenty of little things you can do each day to trigger positive emotions.
How to enjoy the simple things in life
One of our favourite ways to cultivate an attitude of gratitude is to take a daily walk. Head to somewhere new in your local area, such as the beach or a park, and notice the beautiful flowers in bloom or the water on the shore.
Another time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life is when you are cooking dinner. If you think this is just another chore on your to-do list for the day, try to take the time to appreciate the fresh food you are preparing for your family.
Enjoying food is one indulgence that we can all experience every day, and you can work to create healthy new recipes for your family to add a little more excitement to your dinner table.
Reading a good book is one of the best ways to zone out after a busy day at work. We are all so connected nowadays that it can be hard to wind down after a day in front of the computer. Find a good book and appreciate the story or wisdom that’s being shared on each page.
If you are struggling to find time in your life for reading, check out some of these simple tips for reading more.
Enjoying the simple pleasures in life doesn’t have to cost you a penny, but it can make a massive change to your attitude of gratitude. You’ll soon find that you are grateful for the activities you do every day, and you don’t spend your life waiting for those huge events to celebrate.
Cultivate your attitude of gratitude
An attitude of gratitude offers so many benefits to everyone, and regardless of where you are in your life currently, it’s something we could all benefit from.
By trying out the three simple suggestions listed above, you’ll find that you can build your gratitude attitude and that you start to appreciate the little things in life.
Creating an attitude of gratitude can help to slow down time and make us appreciate all we have in our lives. If you’re struggling with balance and find that life often passes you by, taking the time out each day to list three things you are grateful for will quickly make a big difference. From there, you’ll find you notice the good in every day, benefitting your health and wellbeing for many years to come.