Gratitude is one of the newest wisdoms on the path to a fulfilling and happy life. But what does it even really mean to be grateful for something or someone and what does gratitude do to us?
On the journey to a happier life, many come across the word gratitude. But putting it into practice to be truly actively grateful is more difficult than mere theory. Our brains are principally designed to be more aware of the bad things in our lives. Awareness of scarcity is immediately activated so that we can eliminate it and get out of its way. It just seems easier to realize the negative things instead of actively looking for the positive ones, because they quickly become natural for us. However, it is the most basic things that we should be grateful for that are so important. Grateful for our bodies, grateful for the sun that warms us, grateful for a cool sip of water on a hot day.
But how exactly does gratitude work? Studies have shown that thinking about positive things in our lives activates an area of the brain that regulates our stress levels, metabolism and sleep. So the mere feeling of gratitude is there to make us feel better not only mentally, but also physically.
The solution is therefore so close at hand and yet so difficult to grasp. Because practicing gratitude in everyday life is not that simple, it is too easy to get distracted and pulled down by negative things. The good news is that gratitude can be actively practiced. For example, one can keep a gratitude diary or try out a gratitude meditation. It is the little things in life that we should focus on in order to be happy in the long term!