It's very important to work our muscles, our physique, for the benefits we already know. But what about working the gratitude muscle?
Gratitude can lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system to fight disease and lower cortisol (the hormone responsible for stress), which is why it's so important to dedicate time to developing this muscle, which is not physical but is also essential to our health.
So how can we exercise the gratitude muscle every day?
Here are 3 practical tips:
Personalise your speech Instead of saying "thank you" absent-mindedly, why not personalise the situation and say, "thank you for sharing that news with me"? Before you know it, gratitude will start to appear more frequently in your life.
Keep a gratitude diary In other words, write down something that made you feel grateful at any time, whether on paper or in the notes on your mobile phone. The aim is to review it at the end of the day, week or month.
Commit to a day without complaints A day without complaints is exactly what it sounds like - avoiding complaining about anything and everything for an entire day. Instead, find reasons to be grateful in frustrating situations.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
We don’t need to add to our stress. We need to simplify and follow the tips above frequently, so that it becomes a positive habit and an integral part of your routine.
Because to drive longer-term benefits, gratitude needs to be strengthened with repeated actions, just like building muscles for physical strength.
Shall we?
Health Coach
Fonts:
Moieni, M., (2019). Exploring the role of gratitude and support-giving on inflammatory outcomes
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Volume 95, July 2021
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