For some people, gratitude exercises may sound woo-woo. But really this type of daily exercise has a long list of benefits that help improve not only our emotional and mental state but also our physical state. Gratitude exercises are a simple exercise wherein you write a list of things you’re grateful for. That’s it. Not that woo-woo after all! You do this once a day, everyday, with pen and paper. And oftentimes, gratitude exercises are done first thing in the morning as it can greatly impact how you react to whatever happens throughout your entire day. Still unsure about the positive impacts of this exercise? We got you covered.
It encourages us to develop a positive habit
Forming a habit can be a challenge for many people. We can set up alarms on our phones and use technology to help us but still, it can be difficult. Not because our new habit itself is difficult, but because so many things are trying to get our attention – social media notifications, email notifications, long to-do lists – that we cannot focus on the new habit we want to practice. Gratitude exercises are simple and yet, it gently forces us to sit on our bed for 5 minutes, grab a pen and journal and simply list things we’re grateful for.
It makes us happy
This is pretty straightforward but yes, one of the main goals and positive impacts of gratitude exercises is to make us happy. Life is a rollercoaster, and it’s easy to get pulled in the darker side of things. It’s easier to be weighed down by the heaviness of things. With the help of gratitude exercises and other morning exercises, we allow these things to bring more happiness into our lives. Life is not and it will never be perfect, but each day, we can work towards being a little bit happier than yesterday.
It develops our personality
Say you want to learn to be a life coach, or maybe a mentor of some sort, or maybe another creative profession in general, whatever new journey you want to take, you will be put to the test. You will be pushed outside your comfort zone, just like what any other ‘new thing’ you welcome into your life. And we’re always evolving, always welcoming something new. A gratitude exercise is a great way to ground us, and to simply help us improve our personality. It allows us to be more open-minded and reminds us of the big and small things to be grateful for. And thus, helping us develop a more positive personality.
It allows us to inspire others
Being grateful is a wonderful way to inspire others. No matter how small things can be, if we know how to be grateful for them, this is an attitude that we slowly hone. And an attitude that inspires the people around us. Thus, gratitude exercises do not only impact us but also the people around us – friends, family, and even strangers.
It reminds you of the good in everything
Another positive side-effect of doing this work is that it encourages us to be more optimistic. Looking at a list every morning, no matter how long or short it is, but knowing it is a list of things you’re grateful for, we are certain that is enough to make you and many others who practice this exercise be more optimistic. We cannot control everything that happens and sometimes, the world throws terrible curveballs our way. But when we’re optimistic, we learn how to see things differently. A little more positively. We acknowledge the negative things but we choose to see it in a more positive light.
It lessens materialism
Materialism can be toxic. For the most part, we find ourselves wanting this and that, thinking we need this and that. When really, we only need a few things. Simple living doesn’t mean living all alone in a cabin in the woods. (Although that sounds great sometimes.) It means living a life with only your essentials. Needing nothing more than the things you actually need. Being materialistic won’t only take a personal toll but it also has a negative impact on the environment – just take a look at all the plastic we have around! With gratitude exercises, we’re all reminded of the simple things that actually make us happy and grateful about. So why need more?
It improves our self-esteem
Wrapping up our list is the self-esteem aspect. And yes, being grateful for things we have, things we know, and things we are yet to learn is a great way to teach ourselves to be more confident. You can never know everything, and this lack of knowledge is, for some people, a reason to have low self-esteem. But when you regularly jot down the things you’re grateful for, including learning opportunities and maybe new experiences you’re about to embark on, you’re silently reminding yourself you are in this world to learn and be open-minded. And that is one great way to improve your self-esteem.
Guest Blogger
Noelle Cordeaux is CEO and co-founder of JRNI Coaching. She helps clients and audiences harness the power of positive psychology to transform self-perception and step into new ways of being in relationship with the self and others. Interested in becoming a life coach? Learn more about the Catalyst Coaching Intensive here.
