Have you ever noticed that people tend to complain more than they express gratitude? Have you noticed this within yourself? It is human nature for people to focus on the negative aspects of their lives rather than reflecting on what they are grateful for in their lives.
In this post, we will explore why we tend to focus on the negatives, the benefits of gratitude, and how to practice gratitude more in your day-to-day life.
Why Do We Focus on Our Miseries?
The tendency to focus on our miseries or negative stimuli is referred to as the negativity bias. Researchers believe that negativity bias is a result of evolution because paying attention to dangerous and threatening parts of the environment used to be necessary for people to survive. Now, our brains respond more to negative stimuli than positive stimuli, which causes us to focus more on the bad parts of our life.
Even though our brains naturally focus on negative stimuli, allowing ourselves to focus on the negatives can cause significant damage to our mental health and can negatively affect the way we interact with the world.
The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
Fortunately, we have the power to improve the way we view the things that happen throughout our lives. Practicing gratitude is a great way to begin focusing on the positive parts of life, and researchers have found many benefits associated with this practice.
Improved Relationships
People like to feel appreciated. When you say âthank youâ and express gratitude to the important people in your life, you strengthen your relationships.
Better Mental Health
Devoting time to identifying the good that exists in your life can help you feel better. Research suggests that practicing gratitude can even help reduce symptoms of depression.
Improved Sleep
When we ruminate on negative thoughts, it can be harder to get a good nightâs sleep. However, when we focus on positive thoughts and reflect on things that make us happy before bed, we get more high-quality sleep and sleep for a longer period of time.
Higher Self-Esteem
Practicing gratitude can also improve our self-esteem. Spending more time thinking positive thoughts makes us feel better about our lives and about ourselves.
Increased Happiness
Perhaps the most important outcome of practicing gratitude is increased happiness. Across numerous studies, gratitude has been consistently positively associated with happiness.
How to Practice Gratitude
If you, like most people, tend to focus on the negatives in your life, you may be wondering how you can start practicing gratitude and reap its many benefits. Here are 3 simple ways you can start practicing gratitude today.
Start a Gratitude Journal
One of the easiest ways to practice gratitude every day is to start a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is simply a place where you write what you are grateful for. You should plan to spend a few minutes every day writing 3-5 things you are grateful for.
Write Thank You Notes to People in Your Life
You can also practice gratitude by writing thank-you notes to people you care about. Saying âthank youâ when someone does something for you is great, but giving them a hand-written note can feel a lot more special and meaningful. The process of writing the note will encourage you to think more positively about your life.
Find the Beauty in Every Day
One last way you can practice gratitude is to look for and recognize the beauty in your everyday life. For example, you might notice how beautiful the sky looks on your way to work, how delicious your cup of coffee tastes, or how great it was that your favorite song came on the radio. Pay attention to everything because good things happen every day.
While we may count our miseries carefully and accept our blessings without much thought, we have the power to practice gratitude and change the way we perceive our lives. We just need to decide to change our perspective.
