An attitude of gratitude could be the hardest thing to achieve with the ongoing pandemic. The mental health of most people has taken a hit. People are living under constant stress because of the risk of contracting the virus and the high cost of living resulting from the pandemic.
This stress is mainly expressed in form of anxiety and emotional exhaustion. These feelings are a result of the instability that people are experiencing. At this point, no one really knows what to expect next. This is, however, not the state of mind that you are encouraged to keep.
You, therefore, need to identify ways in which you can reduce the impact that the present uncertainty has on your emotional wellbeing and health in general. Gratitude is among the ways that can help greatly improve your emotional wellbeing.
An attitude of gratitude is considered an emotion that helps to ground a person. It is also considered to be among the factors that balance out every negativity that is brought about by the uncertainties of life.
Research findings show that expressing gratitude stimulates the release of hormones such as serotonin and dopamine that make a person feel happier and lighter on the inside. Therefore, as a key to improving your emotional well-being, particularly in this pandemic season, you need to know how to constantly trigger these feelings.
Gratitude is described to be a result of a focus shift. You focus on the things that you have instead of those that you don’t have and appreciate them however little. You focus on the tasks that you have executed Instead of those that are unattended to and appreciate the much you have covered.
You appreciate the progress that you have made. You appreciate the growth that you have achieved. In the same vein, you appreciate the people that have helped you to get what you have and to the point that you are currently at. You appreciate the efforts and the contributions that they have poured into your life.
Studies have shown that the people that practice gratitude consistently tend to be happier and healthier. This effect also flows into their relationships because most were found to have better and thriving relationships. It was also shown that an attitude of gratitude increases a person’s ability to endure and persevere through challenging situations.
Consider your mind to be like your digestive system. Everything that you put into it will determine how you will feel. Therefore, if you are constantly putting negativity such as anxiety, worry, resentment, envy, and self-criticism over small mistakes, your mental well-being will be negatively affected.
You will be in a constant state of anxiety and hopelessness. However, if you constantly pour positivity into your mind through the practice of gratitude, you will find yourself constantly happy, in a state of ease and peace, and healthy above all. A practice of gratitude is therefore like taking up a healthy diet plan or an exercise routine for the health of your mental being.
How to take up an attitude of gratitude
The main question therefore is, how then do you take up an attitude of gratitude? Apart from shifting your focus from the negatives to the positives, there are other ways that can help you to cultivate a culture of gratitude. Keeping tabs on the things that are working out in your life is key.
You should also consider keeping a gratitude journal where you write down your daily reflections, particularly on the achievements that you have had for that day.
You can also come up with a routine involving your family and your friends where you share the things that you are grateful for regularly. This greatly nurtures the attitude of gratitude. Social media now plays a huge role in our day-to-day life.
You can consider sharing the things that you are grateful for online and encouraging your followers to share those that they are grateful for. Such interactions will not only help to elevate your mood but will also help to change your general outlook on life to a more positive outlook full of an attitude of gratitude.
