How to be more grateful

We might look at gratitude as an intellectual idea, maybe even a cliché. But the truth is that when we feel happiness, we are calmer and less reactive … and gratitude is the most effective gateway into such a contented space. What’s more, everyone has the power to tap into this space, and the more familiar this feeling becomes, the more time we are likely to spend experiencing it.

It’s easy to get caught up in the tiny inconveniences of life: the frustrating morning commute, the annoying email from a colleague, the missing item from a takeout order. The mind seemingly has no issue reacting to everyday nuisances, but spends little time naturally appreciating the right things, big or small.

“Unless we take time to train in appreciation — to remember how to be more grateful — then it will never be more than an elusive, fleeting experience,” says former Buddhist monk and the co-founder of Headspace, Andy Puddicombe.

So if you’re ready to make being grateful a stronger part of your life, read on. Because each and every one of us is capable of discovering a renewed sense of appreciation for ourselves, and the world around us.

The benefits of practicing gratitude

Whether through a gratitude meditation or by keeping a gratitude journal, learning how to be more grateful has myriad benefits. Researchers have done their due diligence on the topic. One of the world’s leading scientific experts on the subject, University of California, Davis professor Robert A. Emmons, said: “The practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life.” In their research, Emmons and his colleagues studied more than one thousand people between the ages of eight and 80. They found that those who are consistent about practicing gratitude reported significant benefits.

According to Emmons, “It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, and facilitate more efficient sleep. Gratitude reduces lifetime risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders, and is a key resiliency factor in the prevention of suicide.” If you’re not sold on the health benefits alone, Emmons adds, “Gratitude blocks toxic emotions, such as envy, resentment, regret and depression, which can destroy our happiness.”

How to be more grateful

Even though expressing gratitude is good for the body and mind, it’s not necessarily an easy task. But when we practice being more grateful, we discover that there is a humility to appreciation; an awareness that we are part of something bigger that we can’t take for granted.

The path to gratitude is not one-size-fits-all. Some people may choose to practice gratitude verbally, while others might prefer to explore it through meditation or jot down their feelings in a gratitude journal. Here are a few ways in which you can begin reaping the benefits of gratitude.

Embrace setbacks. Sometimes, to appreciate the good things in life, it helps to remember the bad ones. Take a few moments to think about the past, back to a time when your circumstances were less fortunate than the present. Think about how you’ve overcome those previous challenges and how you’ve grown as a person since then. Remembering the bad times and embracing those setbacks will help you feel grateful for how far you’ve come.

Make it a part of your routine. Just like brushing your teeth twice a day or enjoying a morning cup of tea, gratitude can become an everyday habit as long as you have a plan to get it there. Think about a part of your daily routine that brings you joy. It could be that morning cup of tea, your commute to work, your evening jog. Try to think about the things you are grateful for during the activity. Eventually, you’ll start organically associating that part of your day with the practice, making being grateful a more significant part of your life.

Focus on others. We’ve all fallen into the trap of getting too caught up in our everyday problems. By shifting some of our energy into cultivating empathy for others and focusing on their happiness, we give our minds permission to relax and enjoy the present moment. This practice can trigger a sense of gratitude and joy within ourselves.

Meditate for appreciation. From the frustrating little accidents life decides to throw our way to the harsh daily revelations of the news cycle, disruptions are everywhere. More often than not, we get caught up in a vicious cycle. A thought looms into our mind, it branches into more ideas (many of them triggering a sense of panic or anxiety), we manage to store it away for a moment, and then history repeats itself. Meditation is a tool that allows us to take a step back, relax the mind, and let our thoughts and emotions come and go without judgment. This tool can be used to gain deeper insights into our motivation for practicing gratitude. While meditating, ask yourself, “Who or what do you appreciate most in your life?” Then, observe the feelings and thoughts that naturally arise. Meditating for appreciation is about asking the question, not answering it.