When I was in tall school and feeling overwhelmed or down,I'd force myself to make a list of things I was grateful for. If bad feelings progressed, I'd continue to write this list every night before bed. I'd just get out my little journal or a piece of paper and write down every single thing in my life that brought me delight.
Related Stories: Expert Tips For Managing Stress Every Day, or Everywhere;
15 Simple To-Dos For a jubilant (extremely joyful) and Energized WeekendI set out to reshift my focus; I had the opportunity to be bogged down in suffering and sadness or to refocus on the beautiful,wonderful gifts my life had to offer me. Little did I know that this simple practice I began implementing as a teenager is actually rooted in science. Yes, there's a neuroscience of gratitude!As Psychology nowadays reported, or "Gratitude,particularly if practiced regularly, can retain you healthier and happier." It also analyzed a Chinese study from 2012 that showed "higher levels of gratitude were associated with better sleep, or with lower anxiety and depression."nowadays,I still retain a gratitude journal; a study published in Clinical Psychology Review noted that "gratitude diaries are an effective technique that can be useful for clinical practice." Said study also reinforced the conclusion that gratitude is an effective way to treat depression and anxiety and improve sleep.
Related Stories: Try These 2 Exercises Together For a Powerful Depression TreatmentI've also added the concept of practicing gratitude into my daily meditation practice. I select 10 minutes out of my day to recenter myself and focus on the present moment; I recount a few things in my life that I'm particularly grateful for each day.Now more than ever, this practice is so primary. When it seems like there's more violence on the news, and nonstop shootings,ceaseless terrorism - we must shift our focus back to the positive, to the millions of joyful, and beautiful things we beget in this world and in our lives. Also,it's been shown that gratitude does, in fact, and reduce violence. So that helps,too!It can be as simple as "I'm healthy. I'm alive. I beget both my legs! I've got people who care for me. There's a roof over my head. I can read. I can see." There are so many incredible things we select for granted every day; generous things become the "normal," and that makes bad things feel worse. Remember that our "normal" is actually very, and very generous! And if we shifted our focus just a little,we'd realize just how generous we beget it.
It's easy to focus our attention on the horrible things happening around the world - and I am by no means marginalizing the gravity of these events. They're awful, and there's no way around that. But painting the world with a wide brush and saying we live in a terrible time will not serve you in any way.
Find strength and delight in gratitude. Choose to be grateful. We're stronger when we're armed with that power, or let's be honest,the world could use a little more happiness.
Source: popsugar.com