Gratitude as a Daily Practice

Breathe in gratitude, every breath, every drink, every bite of food, each relationship, and interaction in this human experience. Having more gratitude is a daily practice that will enrich your life, help you cultivate more compassion, reduce stress and increase happiness.

Derived from the Latin word gratus, gratitude is the ability to feel thankful and show appreciation for all things good in your life. Have you ever observed how you feel when someone surprises you with a kind gift or goes out of the way to help you? 

The emotion you felt was that of gratitude, and studies show that practicing thankfulness every day can help change your life for the better. Indeed, many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. 

In one study a group of people were split into three groups. Over the course of four weeks group one was asked to write a daily gratitude letter, group two was asked to write about any negative experience or emotions they had each day, and group three did not do any writing. The study found that between the three groups the people who practice gratitude writing daily reported lasting mental health benefits, more positivity, greater attentiveness and felt overall more mindful of their self talk.

Another study using a fMRI scanner found that people showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude. This indicates that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain. A consistent practice of thankfulness helps train the brain to be more mindful and positive which contributes to improved mental health over time.

Much of our time and energy is spent pursuing things we currently don’t have. A gratitude practice reverses our priorities to help us appreciate the people and things we do. 

Simply dedicating 5 minutes a day to think, say out loud or write down whatever you are grateful for is a beautiful practice for boosting your mood and supporting your mental health. An attitude of gratitude has many health benefits that support your wellbeing and mindful living. 

Through compassion in action our team at Pure Hemp Botanicals is so grateful to support you in your wellness journey, to live a healthier, happier life.