Daily Gratitude Practice
Gratitude is the antidote to states that lack vitality and happiness.
Gratitude ought be at the foundation of any path towards self-mastery as it brings about the more virtuous aspects of humanity. This raises everyone's potential because kindness, appreciation and recognition are all at the basis of our neurological needs.
I feel this is one of my weaker areas and so I am just now starting a practice my self and am curious to see how my interactions or sense of happiness/well-being might change as months go by. Below details a simple scientific approach to gratitude.
Of course it's all backed by scientific studies ^o^. As anyone who knows me, they know that I love science because it brings about greater clarity of such practices and their benefits to us all ^_^.
I feel this is one of my weaker areas and so I am just now starting a practice my self and am curious to see how my interactions or sense of happiness/well-being might change as months go by. Below details a simple scientific approach to gratitude.
Of course it's all backed by scientific studies ^o^. As anyone who knows me, they know that I love science because it brings about greater clarity of such practices and their benefits to us all ^_^.
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Gratitude Science
"Participants in the reflective-behavioral condition experienced the greatest improvements in affect balance and reductions in depression at immediate posttest. Both gratitude interventions improved affect balance at 1 month, compared to the control. Changes in affect balance for those in the reflective-behavioral condition were mediated by the rate at which people expressed gratitude in their existing relationships. This effect was moderated by participant's baseline depressive status."
Feeling Thanks and Saying Thanks: A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining If and How Socially Oriented Gratitude Journals Work.
PMID: 28263399
"Participants in the reflective-behavioral condition experienced the greatest improvements in affect balance and reductions in depression at immediate posttest. Both gratitude interventions improved affect balance at 1 month, compared to the control. Changes in affect balance for those in the reflective-behavioral condition were mediated by the rate at which people expressed gratitude in their existing relationships. This effect was moderated by participant's baseline depressive status."
Feeling Thanks and Saying Thanks: A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining If and How Socially Oriented Gratitude Journals Work.
PMID: 28263399
Gratitude journaling as showcased in the study above, has been shown to be particularly effective when you write out in greater detail upon 1 thing that you're grateful for as opposed to writing 5 general things that you're grateful for. This was broken down to simply writing 5 sentences about the 1 thing you're grateful for each day going into detail upon that 1 thing which lights up the brain in more pro-social behavior centers and ultimately increases ones sense of happiness anywhere from 6-19% within a month of practicing. See this video for a eloquent presentation of the study above.
Consider implementing this simple strategy each day and see if within a month you don't find yourself furthering pro-social behavior along with deepening your interactions within all of your relationships in conjunction with having less reactive-behavior and more responsive-behavior. As with anything, it may not always come natural upon starting a practice and for some may even feel disingenuous to 'practice' gratitude, however within the perspective of 'creating oneself' as opposed to 'being oneself', we begin to consciously program our subconscious as opposed to being a subconscious slave to its rhetoric.
Too often people confuse their comfort-zones for who they are, thereby falling prey to habits and behaviors that are not conducive to ones greater virtuous capacity.
Cheers,
Brandon A. Trean BCTMB, HHP, NC
Consider implementing this simple strategy each day and see if within a month you don't find yourself furthering pro-social behavior along with deepening your interactions within all of your relationships in conjunction with having less reactive-behavior and more responsive-behavior. As with anything, it may not always come natural upon starting a practice and for some may even feel disingenuous to 'practice' gratitude, however within the perspective of 'creating oneself' as opposed to 'being oneself', we begin to consciously program our subconscious as opposed to being a subconscious slave to its rhetoric.
Too often people confuse their comfort-zones for who they are, thereby falling prey to habits and behaviors that are not conducive to ones greater virtuous capacity.
Cheers,
Brandon A. Trean BCTMB, HHP, NC
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"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can."
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Gratitude Science
"Gratitude predicted greater subjective sleep quality and sleep duration, and less sleep latency and daytime dysfunction. The relationship between gratitude and each of the sleep variables was mediated by more positive pre-sleep cognitions and less negative pre-sleep cognitions. All of the results were independent of the effect of the Big Five personality traits (including neuroticism) and social desirability."
Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions
PMID: 19073292
"Gratitude predicted greater subjective sleep quality and sleep duration, and less sleep latency and daytime dysfunction. The relationship between gratitude and each of the sleep variables was mediated by more positive pre-sleep cognitions and less negative pre-sleep cognitions. All of the results were independent of the effect of the Big Five personality traits (including neuroticism) and social desirability."
Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions
PMID: 19073292
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Book Recommendations on Gratitude & Happiness Habits
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins
- Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial by Tony Robbins
- Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss
- Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity
- Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy
- FLIP The Gratitude Switch: A Simple Formula To Change The Trajectory Of Your Life
- Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Everyday of Your Life
- The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu & Douglas Carlton Abrams
Gratitude & Happiness Practice Videos
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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
This webpage contains affiliate links, which means Brandon may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the suggestions above. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support Brandon's ongoing research and work to help create meaningful content for the those in the Treasure Valley. This also helps keep the e-mail consult costs down. Thanks for your support!
This webpage contains affiliate links, which means Brandon may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the suggestions above. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support Brandon's ongoing research and work to help create meaningful content for the those in the Treasure Valley. This also helps keep the e-mail consult costs down. Thanks for your support!
"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day."
The 14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama