Emily Silva Hockstra shares how having a daily gratitude practice is so beneficial for you in so many ways, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Creating a Gratitude Habit that Sticks
Have you ever tried to start a new habit only to find yourself forgetting or not committing to it after a while? New year’s resolutions, 30 day challenges, and diets are just a few ways we pressure ourselves to make changes. Habits take time to create and stick to. The pressure to be and do better can feel overwhelming. There’s a lot of information out there on how to make a habit stick. One of the keys to making it stick is knowing why we are making the change. These reasons are helpful in maintaining a habit.One habit that is easy to implement and quite beneficial is a daily gratitude practice. In short, gratitude is life changing. When we begin to practice gratitude, it’s amazing how our outlook on life can shift. Practicing gratitude has been around for thousands of years and yet, in our hyper connected lives, it can be easily overlooked.Daily gratitude can be as simple as noting the good things in your life with a moment of appreciation or keeping a journal. Writing things down makes them more “sticky” in our brains through the physical act of moving a thought from the mind to the page. Taking this time is a sacred pause in our busy days to invite reflection and calm.
6 Reasons to Practice Daily Gratitude
1. Gratitude Helps us Feel Content
Being grateful for what we have, helps us to not focus on what we lack. Contentment is part of living a happier life. Comparison is the opposite of contentment and can keep us in a state of want. By listing 3 things we are grateful for each day, we can calibrate our thoughts to notice and appreciate what we do have.
2. Gratitude Helps us Sleep
Our minds are very powerful and what we think about before we go to bed can affect our dreams. Instead of mental doom scrolling and ruminating on the things that are not working out, thinking about what you’re grateful for before bed helps to pause and reflect on the good things that happened that day.
3. Gratitude Lowers Stress
It’s almost impossible to feel stressed out when thinking about what we are grateful for. Gratitude reduces cortisol levels by training our brain to seek out the good. This happens over time through neuroplasticity by rewiring our brains and thought patterns.
4. Gratitude Helps us Accept Ourselves More
It can be difficult to state the things we love about ourselves. And yet, practicing personal gratitude can help accept ourselves more and embrace what makes us unique. It’s okay to feel good about yourself! Try to find at least one thing about YOU that you are grateful for each day.
5. Gratitude Strengthens Our Connections
Deep appreciation for the people in our lives can be cultivated through regular gratitude. Imagine leaving each interaction and pausing to feel grateful for something good that occurred. This can enhance our desire to connect with others more and help us appreciate the people in our lives.
6. Gratitude Changes the Way we Look at Life
The more we look for things to be grateful for, the more our perspective changes. Things that may have gone unnoticed, become more noticeable, like the blossoms in the trees, the colors of the sunrise, and the way people make us feel.
These are only a few of the amazing reasons why gratitude is beneficial; the list could go on and on. If you’ve never practiced gratitude before, start small by listing 1 thing you're grateful for each day. Write it down in a journal and review when you need a positive boost.
To deepen your gratitude practice, add on the reason why you’re grateful next to each item and pause to breathe in this feeling of gratefulness.
Over time, the benefits of practicing gratitude expand our hearts and minds. I like to say it strengthens our spiritual muscles! Gratitude is like a daily deposit into our account of wellbeing.
If you miss a day, remember that it’s a practice and you can practice it anywhere and any time. In time, gratitude will change your outlook and perhaps your life.
Emily Silva Hockstra is an author and sought after mid-life career coach. Her book, Sunrise Gratitude, was named in “10 Books That Might Just Change Your Life Right Now.” Her latest book, Sunset Gratitude, hit bookshelves in September 2024. Follow her @soulsadventures
Read more about Emily, and get her gratitude journal prompts in
Issue 02 • Refresh & Revive!
