Last week I was enormously grateful to our friends who rescued my daughter and I from the building site that is our flat! The boiler broke leaving us with no heating or hot water. I could at this point have spiralled into pit of doom, however our amazing friends came on their proverbial white horses and now we are temporarily living in their beautiful home in SOHO. Wow, such generosity at a time when we needed it the most. I am enormously grateful to our friends and calm has thankfully been restored to our lives!
The word gratitude come from the Latin work gratia. It means grace, graciousness or gratefulness. In many ways gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. It is an appreciation off all that you receive. It helps you refocus on what you have rather than what you don't have. Historically there has been little medial research done on gratitude, however the profession is starting to take notice of the enormous benefits that appreciation offers.
In the field of positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more optimistic and this in turn improves your overall health and wellbeing. When things get tough reminding yourself of the things that we are grateful in life goes a long way in dealing with adversity.
It is so easy to cultivate gratitude. Many people build in 5 minutes of gratitude journaling first thing in the morning as part of their routine. This starts the day off on a positive note and sets the tone for the day. But you can also say thank you to someone mentally or write a thank you note to someone who has had an impact on your life.
However you express your gratitude, it is a simple way of improving your happiness and is proven to help nurture relationships. You have got nothing to lose so trial it and see the outcome.
Much love
Sarah
Xxx