Building Better Habits: Cultivating a Habit of Gratitude

Mar 24

Today, let’s focus on how you can cultivate a habit of gratitude or positivity.

Humans are innately negatively wired because our survival depends on it. This is referred to as Negativity Bias. We don’t initially see things positively, instead, our mind thinks the worst, and evolutionarily, this benefits our survival. If you assumed that the rustling in the bushes was a friendly fairy instead of a blood-thirsty tiger, you were not likely to pass on your genetics.

It is our biological inheritance, but the problem is, if we continue to reinforce negative thought patterns, we start to see the world through a negative lens. This doesn't bode well for satisfaction, contentment, happiness, and all the things we search for in life.

Cultivating gratitude is not easy. It is a deliberate choice, and it requires intention. If we make the effort, then we have the ability to change our perspective and start to see the world in a more positive light. Neurons in the brain that fire together wire together and our brains tend to want to use the same circuitry over and over to save energy. Intentionally and deliberately setting out to see the positive will eventually turn into a habit and become automatic.

There are many measurable benefits to gratitude, some of which include:

Increases dopamine and serotonin – the feel-good chemicals that are important for well-being, satisfaction, and contentment in life.
Decreases anxiety and depression.
Decreases the stress hormone, cortisol.
Can boost immunity.
Decreases long-term risk of chronic disease.

So how can you make cultivating gratitude a habit?

One simple way is to start a gratitude journal. Evidence suggests that it is not as beneficial to just think grateful thoughts, but instead, put them down on paper to see them in black and white. If you are not someone who keeps a journal, you can use your voice memo function on your phone to verbally record your gratitude.

Along the same lines of a grateful journal, is creating a Gratitude Box. This is something that can even be a family activity. First, you will need to create a box (a fun activity for little ones) or find a beautiful receptacle. Then each day write down little notes of gratitude and add them to the box. Over time you will accumulate a variety of things you are grateful for. On a day that you are feeling down, open the box and read a few of the notes. You will be surprised how much better this will make you feel.

Another way you can cultivate gratitude is by writing yourself a Thank You note. This can be done throughout the year. Simply write a note to yourself for the things you have achieved or have overcome in your life.

This is a great way of finding the silver lining in the things that you might look at as struggles or adversity.

One of our favorite ways to get in the habit of being grateful is to use what we call the “Yes, And…” technique. If you notice yourself annoyed by something or complaining about something, acknowledge it and then turn it around into a positive. For example, if you get annoyed by the way your husband or kids load the dishwasher, acknowledge that you are irritated, but then think about how you didn’t have to clean up after dinner because they did it for you. By turning it into a positive, you become grateful for the help instead of dwelling on the task not being done like you would have done it.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to practice gratitude. Maybe you want to add post-it notes to your refrigerator with a quote about gratitude or use a gratitude app to remind you to be grateful. The important thing is to find a technique or several that resonate with you and make them a part of your daily routine. Making gratitude a habit can tickle down to everyone around you and it is really fun to see others take your lead.

If you would like to learn more about Mana Wellness Women and the program we have available to optimize your health, please schedule a free call with us today - bit.ly/3tb36Ft. We are grateful for your interest and would love to work with you!