When you realize what you have, the value of the things we have around us increases. Great, isn't it?
When we are grateful for what we have, we are automatically happier. This works without a shopping trip through the city. Conversely, we will never be happy if we are not grateful for what we have.
In the following article, we would like to show you why gratitude is so important and how it "automatically" makes you happier and more relaxed. At the end of the article, you will also find a few practical exercises that you can use to get started right away.
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but also the mother of all others." - Cicero
The systematic study of gratitude within psychology only began around the year 2000, perhaps because psychology has traditionally been more concerned with understanding negative emotions than positive ones. But since the emergence of positive psychology, gratitude has been in the mainstream of psychological research.
Your inner attitude
Most people don't even think about their inner attitude. They only react to external influences and thus hand over control of their situation to others. However, how you feel determines your life. And you should decide that yourself!
Check your inner attitude: How have you behaved in the past few days and what inner attitude was responsible for this? Were your thoughts full of anger, fear or blame? Was your attitude the result of an event that you could not control yourself?
Your attitude usually reflects back on you. If you are negative, this will be expressed in many mishaps. As a rule, we fulfill our own expectations. You influence your quality of life with your attitude!
We have the choice
We can choose whether we are negative, sad, angry, worried, envious or distrustful, or whether we want to see the positive sides of our lives. Gratitude is an attitude to life that you can choose for yourself. It is not dependent on whether you are healthy, good-looking or particularly wealthy. It is a conscious decision to respond positively to what life offers. This means seeing everything as a gift or an opportunity. The prerequisite is the willingness to accept even the small things in life with gratitude and a certain form of humility. To see the rainbow where others complain about the bad weather.
Research results
Brain research has proven that gratitude can be trained. Those who look forward to life every day and see "problems" as challenges activate the "reward center" in the brain, where good feelings arise. The center continues to expand and the good feelings become easier and easier. Research from the new field of positive psychology also shows that grateful people subjectively feel better. They are happier, have less stress and are more satisfied with their lives and social relationships.[1][2][3] People who were asked to keep gratitude diaries achieved more of their life goals in a two-month period than those who did not. In one study, a group of test subjects were asked to write down three positive experiences every day for a week. The control group was only asked to write down their memories of the day. The group that wrote down positive experiences still reported being happier with their lives after six months than before. This exercise was so successful that although many participants were only asked to keep the diary for a week, they continued to keep the diary long after the study was over.[4]
The good in your life?
By becoming aware of what is good in your life and being a little more relaxed about challenges, you will automatically increase your happiness level.
"Wise is the man who does not grieve for the things he does not possess, but rejoices in the things he has." - Epicetus
Some people find gratitude through drastic experiences. An accident, a serious illness or a confrontation with death make it clear that every day of life is a gift.
But we don't have to wait for that, because the easiest way to practice gratitude is to become aware of everything that cannot be taken for granted, here and now. It is not a given that you have a roof over your head, can live in peace, have enough water and food available and are allowed to speak your mind. There are many things in your life - past and present - for which you can be grateful to yourself and others.
How many times a day are you grateful for the good things in your life? Are you happy that you are healthy? That you have good friends? How often do you stop to enjoy the magical moments in your life? When was the last time you celebrated yourself for achieving a goal? There are so many things you can be grateful for. You just have to open your eyes to notice them. Gratitude is the antithesis of stress and anxiety. With such an attitude, you release an incredible amount of positive energy.
DREAMWORK TIP
Take 10 minutes every morning to realize how well you are actually doing.
Be happy about the good things! You will then start the day in a positive mood and feel really good. You can also put a note on your bathroom mirror or in your car that says "Gratitude" in large letters. This will remind you in the morning and evening that you are in control of your own attitude.
We have prepared a guide for you so that you can start implementing them straight away. Here you will find even more inspiration and three simple exercises that you can implement straight away.
Download link: "What can I be grateful for and 3 exercises to get started"
Literature:
- Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., & Maltby, J. (2008). Gratitude uniquely predicts satisfaction with life: Incremental validity above the domains and facets of the Five Factor Model. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 49-54.
- McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112-127.
- Boehm, J. K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). The promise of sustainable happiness.
- Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421.
What is DREAMWORK
With our DREAMWORK project, we want to encourage reflection and discussion on how we can improve our working conditions at Saalbacher Hof and in our entire industry.
We want to bring more happiness into our lives now and not just at some point when it might be too late.
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We look forward to your comments and a lively exchange of ideas. What do you think about happiness in the workplace? What would you like to change, or what works particularly well for you?
You are welcome to post your comments below.
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