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Create a Gratitude Project - Handout
What is gratitude?
Gratitude means feeling thankful or being willing to show appreciation.
Why is being grateful important for my health?
Gratitude can improve your health in many ways. Physically, gratitude can improve your energy levels and help you sleep better.1 It can also help you get better faster when you are sick.2 Practicing gratitude can improve your mood by decreasing your chances of having depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders.3 It can also improve the way you feel about your body.4 People who are grateful feel more happiness, pride, and hope.5 They also feel more connected to others.6 Another reason to add gratitude to your health plan is that you can do it for free!
What is a gratitude practice?
In order to experience the health benefits of gratitude, it’s important to have a routine gratitude practice. Gratitude practices are generally easy to do. The hard part is getting yourself to do them regularly, especially if you don’t feel well. There are many different gratitude practices. They can be as simple as dedicating time each day to reflect on what you are grateful for in your life. You can write down the people, things, events, interactions, and experiences you are grateful for. Or, you can think of ways to show others your gratitude. Be creative.
What if I struggle to think of things I am grateful for?
When you consider what you are grateful for, don’t forget the little things that make you happy or give you a sense of meaning and purpose. We often judge our happiness based on major events in our lives. Those events are rare, which is what makes them significant. It’s also important be grateful for smaller daily occurrences—“the little things.” One way to do this is to think about what you did yesterday, and make a list of all the things you were grateful for. How many things on your list are common, everyday events? How many are big, rare events?
Remember to also show gratitude to yourself. What can you thank your body, your mind, and/or your spirit for? It might be helpful for you to start a self-compassion practice. Learn more by reading the handout.