“At least you have your health.” Have you heard this before? Gratitude is simply taking the time to think about all the positive things in your life, rather than dwelling on the negatives. You woke up this morning, breathing and with a heartbeat. You get to enjoy “today”! You get to see your family and friends, enjoy food and life’s luxuries. It is easy to forget to be grateful for the most basic thing: life itself.

To improve your health, practice gratitude

Many people think that getting something like a raise or a promotion at work is what it will take to make them happier. But this just isn’t true. Here are some motivating reasons to be grateful and spread gratitude to others.

Gratitude shifts your focus

 Whatever we focus on, we move towards. When we live in a state of negativity, we see more of that. No matter the state or quality of our lives, whatever outcomes we’ve produced, goals we’ve reached, what decisions we’ve made, and where we’ve ended up, has almost everything to do with focus. When we take the time to focus on all the good in our lives, from the people we love to our most treasured possessions, we become happier more positive people.

Having gratitude reduces your innermost fears

 By being grateful, fear can be overcome. When we’re utterly grateful for everything we have, fear has little place to live in our minds. If there’s one practice that has the power to change your life, it’s the practice of gratitude.

Feel more positive emotions

 Gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, and build deeper relationships.

Increased happiness

 Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools of happiness. Positive psychology research has shown that gratitude touches on many aspects of our lives. You can choose to cultivate this practice to change your own mindset. Studies have shown that gracious individuals are happier; they sleep better and have better relationships.

Feel more alive

 A little gratitude can go a long way! When you’re feeling grateful, positive, and happy, your brain and body are more efficient. Your physical well-being feels good because your mental well-being feels good. Gratitude activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces your stress levels. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pain and report feeling healthier.

Healthier immune system

 Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. We know that being grateful intrinsically feels good, but on a deeper level, practicing gratitude has the very real ability to change your physical health for the better. Feelings of gratitude and appreciation have been shown to result in a significant increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, which serves as the body’s first line of defense against viruses.

Sleep Better

 Building gratitude habits helps with improved sleep.

Express more compassion and kindness

As we are trying to build a gratitude habit, we will return to experience gratitude and it will help us express more compassion and kindness towards others. By practicing it, slowly we start becoming more aware of all the opportunities to experience gratitude in our everyday lives.

Better relationship with family, friends, partner, and yourself

 The practice of gratitude is a powerful one. Gratitude makes us nicer and more trusting, which can help foster or deepen strong relationships.

The 4 Elements of Our Mindset

• Story Code [How we are transferred knowledge]

The stories that we have been told when we were kids, especially when we were under 5, that is when we will be influenced the most. This helps us make up our mindset and who we are.

• Belief System

This is like the filter of what we see is what we believe. When we start believing in something, we start to see things differently. For example, when we start to believe that money is evil, then we will see all the evil that we can do with money. If we think that all we are going to fail, then that is what we will see. So, every opportunity we have, with negative thoughts, we will see only the negative side of things and it goes both ways with positive and negative thoughts.

• Values / Motives [Reason to do something]

Our values are formed from our belief system. This starts to move from our conscious mind whereas the above 2 elements like story code and belief system come from our subconscious mind without us realizing. It is important to understand that these values are something that happens more and more consciously.

• Our Identity

The thing that wraps all these 3 things like how we are transferred knowledge as a kid, our belief system and our values is our Identity. Identity is the story that you tell yourself. It is important to keep this open with change and lockdown ourselves with identity, we will move more and more towards comfort and ultimately, we will not get the results physically as well. Ultimately it is wrapped in the identity in the story that we tell ourselves. That starts with the thoughts that go through our heads. So when you say something to yourself and when you say it aloud, you probably said 1000 times in your head. If something that comes in our thoughts is not going to be constructive for our own happiness or future, we have to override that with something else and start making habits of thinking differently.

#1 Gratitude journaling

 If you keep a journal beside your bed and at the end of every day write a list of all of the things, you’re thankful for that day, you might sleep much better. Noting down even simple things—like a delicious dinner you enjoyed, a cup of tea or coffee, time spent with a beloved—can be a powerful practice to keep you grounded in a positive mindset on a daily basis.

#2 Count your blessings

 “Sometimes, the little things aren’t so little.” Think about the last time you experienced positive feelings of happiness. Whether you took a deep breath of fresh air on a beautiful spring afternoon or had a cuddle with your pet after a long day, chances are these little moments of happiness not only made you feel more optimistic, but more energetic as well.

#3 Meditate

 While meditation usually involves a complete focus on the present moment, the practice can also be used to focus on what you’re thankful for. The concept of gratefulness doesn’t come naturally. We have to cultivate it and practice it. When we are filled with gratitude, our thought processes change.

#4 Embrace life’s challenges

 As you overcome them– growing, learning, and discovering your true strength– you will realize even pain has value. And you can still be grateful.

Gratitude and Fitness

 It’s hard to stay positive when these are the wordswords,we’re being exposed to day in and day out. But when it comes to being healthy and a life well-lived, gratitude and fitness go together like sugar and spice. Your body works hard to keep you safe and healthy. So, when you think about it that way, a daily fitness routine becomes an essential practice of gratitude.

How feeling grateful can impact results?

 Grateful -> Self Love and Happiness ->Being Kinder to Ourselves ->Results

 For example, long term fat loss. Once we start being more grateful for the situation we are in and once we start loving ourselves more, it is easier to be kinder to ourselves and with being kinder to ourselves come the results especially in the long term. It is easier to do something for few days. Start a diet, get some results. Do it for a few days, but when something goes wrong, then all of a sudden, then the gratefulness goes out of the window and we start feeling negative emotions which will affect our results in the long term. So, the more we start being more and more grateful, we’ll end up getting alot more physical results.

 Hope this is helpful. Please comment below if you have any questions and if you would like me to expand any stuff in depth. Looking for a place to nail your fitness goals and put that gratitude practice into play? Take advantage of our online workouts with Stronglife’s best personal trainers in Point Cook. If you are living in and around Point Cook, reach out to us to know about the personalized fitness programs at Stronglife. Get in touch today!