UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE

UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE 

                              

Hello friends, first of all THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for everything to me.Through this blog I would like to share the importance and power of  GRATITUDE.It is the therapy mostly prescribed by psychologist and Councillors.How does its affect the life?, is there really have a power in thanks? yes, gratitude has a great power and its influencing our life. Today the whole world is in lockdown due to Corona Pandemic.I think its good time to express our gratitude for everything,actually there is no such a specific time to express gratitude.Anytime,anywhere we can show our gratitude for all the things in life.There is a variety of things that can adjure positive feelings of appreciation or gratitude.

" Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contribute to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson 

WHAT IS GRATITUDE ?

Gratitude means 'thanks and appreciation' . gratitude which rhymes with "attitude", comes from the Latin word 'gratus' which means 'thankful, pleasing. when you feel gratitude, you're pleased by what someone did for you and also pleased by the result.Unlike indebtedness, you're not anxious about having to pay it back. gratitude is an emotion and action similar to appreciation, and positive psychology research has found neurological reasons.

Gratitude is a human emotion that can be most simply defined as appreciation or acknowledgment of an unselfish act.
 Gratitude is a tool for increasing well-being. The benefits of practicing gratitude are not linked to any sort of pathology or religion, but rather, linked to a desire to build people and societies that are healthy and thriving.

• Gratitude is being thankful for everything.
  
• feeling blessed for everything
• acknowledging everything around you.
• Thankfulness is the synonyms of gratitude.

DEFINITIONS :
-"Gratitude is simply the state of being grateful.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

-“The appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself and represents a general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation” (Sansone & Sansone, 2010).


-One morality-based psychologist writes that:
“gratitude is not goods delivered in response to payment. It is a response to a gift … Gratitude, as a response to a gift, is also a form of generosity, of graciously crediting the other for something that was not strictly owed” (Roberts, 1991).                                                                                        
What are the Benefits of Gratitude?
For the individual:   

• increased happiness and positive mood  
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialistic
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
• For groups:
• increases pro social behaviors
• strengthens relationships
• may help employees’ effectiveness

IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE IN LIFE:

• There is a variety of things that can invoke positive feelings of appreciation or gratitude that may guide people towards meaning and better health.
  

• Gratitude is an emotion and action similar to appreciation and positive psychology research has found neurological reasons why so many people can benefit from this general practice of expressing thanks for our lives, even in times of challenge and change. It's very simple and easy but profound useful to all.

• Friends Many of us express gratitude by saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. From a scientific perspective, however, gratitude is not just an action: it is also a positive emotion that serves a biological purpose.

• Positive psychology defines gratitude in a way where scientists can measure its effects, and thus argue that gratitude is more than feeling thankful: it is a deeper appreciation for someone (or something) that produces longer lasting positivity.

• Gratitude involves a process of recognizing, first, that one has obtained a positive outcome and, second, that there is an external source for that good outcome
  

• Studies show that there are specific areas of the brain that are involved in experiencing and expressing gratitude.

WHY GRATITUDE WORKS?   

Gratitude is the selfless act. its are done unconditionally to show to people to people that they are appreciated. “A gift that is freely given” is one way to understand what these acts are like.For example, if someone is sad and you write them a note of appreciation, you are likely not asking for something in return for this person; instead, you are reminding them of their value, and expressing gratitude for their existence. At the moment, you are not waiting for a “return note” from this person.

Even when we do not expect a return, sometimes they happen. Gratitude can be contagious, in a good way. In the previous example, maybe when you are down, this person will write you a note too.

Nine recent psychological findings related to the study of gratitude:

   1   Enhanced Well-being- Expressing your thanks can improve your overall sense of well-being. Grateful people are more agreeable, more open, and less neurotic

.      2 Deeper Relationships- Gratitude is also a powerful tool for strengthening interpersonal relationships. People who express their gratitude for each other tend to be more willing to forgive others and less egotistic.

.     3 Improved Optimism- who focused on gratitude showed more optimism in many areas of their lives, including health and exercise.

     4 Increased Happiness- study asking people to write and deliver a letter to someone for whom they were grateful. After the task, their happiness levels and life satisfaction were dramatically impacted.

    5  Stronger Self-Control- Self-Control helps with discipline and focus. Long-term well-being can benefit from self-control, for example, resisting nicotine in cigarettes for someone who is trying to quit smoking. Self-control helps us stick to the “better choice” for our long-term health, financial future, and well-being.

      6 Better Physical and Mental Health- The link between the mind-body connections aligns with how gratitude can have a double benefit. So it’s said ‘sound mind is the sound body’ For example, the feeling of appreciation helps us to have healthier minds, and with that healthier bodies.

.      7  An Overall a Better Life- who feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, nobody can deny this fact.

   8 Stronger Athleticism- Researchers and expert also mentioned that Gratitude affects sports persons and their fans. Fans’ levels of gratitude influence their happiness, connection, and identity with a team. In turn, stronger fan support and pride can influence the performance and pride of the team itself . ex-as some fans never changed their sitting position while sachin Tendular was playing.

   9 Stronger Neurologically-Based Morality- researchers elicited feelings of gratitude in their participants and found that gratitude increased activity in areas of the brain that deal with morality, reward, and judgment.

APPLY FOLLOWING GRATITUDE ACTIVITIES FOR EXPERIENCING IT:-

Activity no 1: praise yourself for 3 things 1………,2……….,3………..

Activity no 2: Tell family members ‘thank you’ for being in your life.

Activity no 3: Shake your body and say thanks to your body.

Activity no 4 : Focus within and say thanks to your breaths.

Activity no 5: Write a gratitude letter to someone for whom you are thankful. Consider sending it or giving it to them in person.

Activity no 6: Meditate on gratitude (present moment awareness).

Activity no 7: Do “Count Your Blessings” exercise at the end of the day and  write down 3 things for which you were grateful.

Activity no 8: Practice saying “thank you” in a real and meaningful way. Be specific. For example, “Thank you for taking the time to read this article and leave a comment in the period of Corona Pandemic.

Activity no 9: Write thank you notes and Challenge yourself to write one hand-written note every week for one month.

Activity no 10: Be mindful of your five senses. How does each enhance your life?

 Activity no 11: Create visual reminders to practice gratitude at your home, Sticky notes, notifications, and simple chart to show your family members.

Think about what your life would be like if a specific positive event wouldn’t have happened. Write all the decisions and events that would have been different in your life. For instance, what if you didn’t meet your spouse? What if you didn’t get the dream job you have now? What if you hadn’t stopped a particular bad habit?

Every second reaction take place, as you know hormones secreted in our body mostly Dopamine, Oxycontin, Serotonin, and Endorphin due to these activities. So must try everyday.

At the last I would like to say only one thing Personally, I think being grateful and expressing that gratefulness is something God / Nature wants us to do. Ultimately, we are to praise and thank Him because He is the Creator of all things, and He is the Giver of life. All that we have and all that we are is a gift from God / Nature . It is the best time to feel grateful toward loved ones, relatives, friends, colleagues, insects, animals, Mother Nature, and life in general. The emotion generates a climate of positivity that both reaches inward and extends outward. So again I thank my parents, relatives, teachers, friends, colleagues, everything in surrounding me. THANKS…THANKS..THANKS.


Anil Petkar

Counsellor.