Give a Little Bit: 5 Ways to Express Gratitude

Did you know that the regular cultivation and expression of gratitude is vital to your health and wellness? According to psychologists, showing gratitude on a daily basis helps to soothe your psyche as well as creating new, healthy neural pathways associated with the positive experience of giving and the emotional contentment it creates. In a nutshell: the simple act of giving regular thanks can heal your mind! Here are 5 ways that you can bring a little more gratitude into your daily life:

• Take the time to offer a little extra help: Helping someone does not have to be a huge exertion. If you are walking down the street and see someone drop something, pick it up. Let them know that they are worthy of help and a little extra attention—no matter how small the action, both parties will feel good about giving or receiving a helping hand.
• Make "thank you" your favorite phrase. Do you say thank you enough? Think about it. Making thank you a hallmark of your social interactions will make people appreciate you more and, consequently, people will want to spend time with you because they know that you appreciate them.
• Praise someone. Give an extra compliment to someone, whether a coworker or a friend. Let people know that you value what they do, what they say, and above all who they are.
• Listen. You can show that you appreciate someone by really listening to what they have to say. Sometimes people just want to be seen and heard, and if you authentically listen to what they have to say, you will increase their self-esteem and self-worth by a million percent.
• Lay off the criticism. Did your spouse leave the towel on the bathroom floor again? Did your coworker start chewing his food too loudly during a meeting? Instead of criticising the habits that annoy you, try to focus on showing gratitude to the people in your life, even when they annoy you the most. You will feel better and more centered if you dwell on the positive instead of the negative.

Gratitude keeps you connected to other human beings. The wellbeing of your mind and body thrives on healthy, intimate connection with others.  Expressing gratitude is an easy as well as humble way of nurturing the seeds of human relationships that can lead you to feel better about both whom you are as a person and your unique place in the world. What’s not to love about that?!

Gratitude is indeed a healthy attitude. To find out how to infuse your life with a little more gratitude, get involved in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Share with us.  What ONE thing are you going to do to express gratitude today?

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