Why Gratitude Is An Essential Part Of A Happy, Healthy Life

With Thanksgiving a mere three days away, let’s take a moment to talk about gratitude. It’s a concept that comes up a lot around the holidays, and also one that’s been embraced by the health and wellness community in recent years. You’ve probably heard of people starting their own “gratitude practices” or writing in gratitude journals. And while I don’t have a dedicated gratitude practice, per se, I do believe that gratitude is an absolutely essential part of a healthy, and happy life. 

Here’s why. 

1. Gratitude lets us see the bigger picture.  

We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the “bad” things that are happening to us. We miss the bus or subway, our car breaks down, we spill our coffee, or much worse. While negative occurrences certainly warrant a reaction, we can all benefit from giving equal attention to all of the good things that come our way. Being outside in beautiful weather, getting a good night’s sleep, reading an engaging book—there are so many positive things that we see as “little” or insignificant, so we brush them off instead of expressing gratitude for them. 

To live our healthiest, happiest lives, we have to resist being bogged down by trivial inconveniences, and instead, embrace the wonderful, sometimes ordinary things that happen during our day. And we have to embrace them while they’re happening—when you’re outside in lovely weather, tell yourself: “I’m so grateful for this.” It helps keep everything in perspective, and allows us to see the forest for the trees. 

2. We attract what we focus on. 

I truly believe that if you focus on the things you’re grateful for, more of those things will come into your life and being. Think about when you buy a new car. Before you bought it, you probably didn’t see that type of car very often. But, now that you have it, you see cars like yours everywhere. It’s not because those cars weren’t there before, it’s because you became aware of them. This example underscores the simple fact that you can change your awareness and what you pay attention to, and in doing so, attract more of what you want into your life. And in my experience, the more we bring awareness to all the good in our lives, the more we start to notice other things that are good.  

3. Gratitude is a form of mindfulness. 

Mindfulness is defined as “a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment,” and the way I practice gratitude is actually through mindfulness. In other words, I try to be aware of things I’m grateful for in the moment (as in, in the exact moment they’re happening). When the shuttle bus shows up on time, I remind myself that I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for all the people who celebrated my birthday with me this year. I’m grateful for my favorite popcorn, and I think about that every time I eat it. Even when things are crashing around me, there’s always something happening that’s positive and worth acknowledging.

To be happy, we have to be grateful for things that happen to us, what we have, and for the people in our lives, instead of focusing on what we don’t have. Once you make that mental shift, you can bring more joy into your life.

So starting tonight, I challenge you to keep a gratitude journal, and write five things that you’re grateful for from that day every night before you go to sleep. And if you’re ready to be in a supportive group of women who can help you own your health, join us on the Pure Joy Squad!

Gratefully yours, 

Renata