I have been hearing from friends and clients lately that it is difficult to keep boredom, negativity and lack of motivation at bay as this lockdown continues to drag on. Do you feel this way?
There does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel as talk circulates about hotels, restaurants and foreign travel once again being a part of our lives. While the hope of these activities can bring some relief, I would challenge you that there is a more proactive action you can take today to lift your spirits that is grounded in acknowledging the upside of the present.
Can you guess what I’m talking about? Gratitude.
Gratitude is a word that is thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean?
We are often told to be grateful, but it can sometimes seem that gratitude is more an obligation than a benefit; just another item on our already overburdened to-do list. We may end up feeling resentful when we are expected to feel grateful particularly under difficult circumstances like the ones we all face today.
It really doesn’t need to be like this!
The important thing about gratitude is that it connects us with other people, life, and depending on our belief system, a higher power. We might feel it when the person in front of us in line spontaneously lets us go first, or when a friend checks in on us unexpectedly during a hard time.
In his book “Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” Professors Robert Emmons says:
“First, gratitude is the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In gratitude, we say yes to life. We affirm that all things taken together, life is good and has elements that make it worth living. Second, gratitude is recognizing that the source(s) of this goodness lie at least partially outside the self. The object of gratitude is other-directed… This is one significant way in which gratitude differs from other emotional dispositions.”
In other words, gratitude is a process of seeing and acknowledging what we already have, amidst the chaos of our schedules, which helps us feel connected to other people and to life.
You might have heard of the benefits of practicing gratitude like experiencing more positive emotions, feeling more alive, sleeping better, expressing more compassion and kindness, and even having stronger immune systems. But did you know that gratitude has also been proven to improve productivity?
Yes, you heard me right. You can actually increase productivity with gratitude. Why? From a scientific perspective, giving and receiving thanks increases the release of dopamine which raises your energy. Dopamine is also linked with the brain's complex system of motivation and reward. I ask you - who doesn't feel more productive and content when higher levels of motivation and reward are involved?
In a long-term research project on the nature of gratitude, the same Professor Robert Emmons mentioned above made some amazing discoveries:
"Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions." Professor Emmons continues to conclude that keeping a gratitude journal for as little as three weeks can result in better sleep and more energy.
In addition to these proven scientific benefits, gratitude has some hidden benefits that can improve your productivity and your life. When you regularly practice gratitude
Sounds great right? So how do you incorporate gratitude into daily life? Here are my top 7 tips to making gratitude a part of daily life.
So what do you think? Are you ready to incorporate gratitude into your daily life? You can start by picking one or two of the suggestions above and see for yourself how adapting an attitude of gratitude can really fuel your productivity!
To help you make a start, I have created this simple FREE Gratitude List Worksheet that you can fill out every night. Just jot down 10 things that you are grateful for at the end of every day before you go to sleep and I am sure you will feel differently afterwards. It also has my 7 Top Tips to Make Gratitude Part of daily Life so that you can keep refer to them easily.
So click here to get my FREE Gratitude Worksheet and let me know how you experience the benefits of gratitude below or in my Facebook group here.
Committed to your success,
Marina x
I want you to know that Transformation is possible. Progress is possible. I’ve implemented these steps in my own life and coached my clients through the process.
Maybe now really is your time to make a change? Maybe this is that moment for you. If so, then I would like to invite you to book a FREE Kickstart Your Power Session, where we get on a call for 60 minutes and identify what obstacles are stopping you from reaching your goals and work out a plan for overcoming them.
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