Practicing Gratitude to Combat Stress

“Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” —Eckhart Tolle

Gratitude can be described as the acknowledgment of the good things in your life. It has the ability to ground us in our emotions and combat negative thoughts. Whether it is being thankful for people, experiences or resources, practicing gratitude can be beneficial for many reasons.

According to Psychology Today, there are seven scientifically proven benefits of gratitude:

1. 1. 1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
      2. Gratitude improves physical health.
      3. Gratitude improves psychological health.
      4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
      5. Gratitude enhances sleep.
      6. Gratitude improves self-esteem.
      7. Gratitude increases mental strength.

When you regularly practice gratitude, you start to appreciate your life and yourself more. This results in taking care of yourself physically and mentally, as well as increasing positive qualities like empathy and resilience. Practicing gratitude also releases “happy” neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These brain chemicals reduce levels of cortisol, therefore decreasing stress.

A significant aspect of our lives that gratitude helps improve is our interpersonal relationships. Gratitude allows us to be more forgiving, compassionate, empathetic and more likely to help others.

Building your skill for practicing gratitude will increase your inner strength and your ability to combat stress. An easy way to practice gratitude is to journal about a few things you are thankful for each day. These can be small or big things, and the task should be something quick and easy you can incorporate into your day.

Download these journal prompts, activities and affirmations to get started on your gratitude journey.

About the author

Megan DiPietro

Ms. Megan DiPietro is a part-time team member on the Slainte Fitness team at USLI. She recently graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Psychology. At WCU, Ms. DiPietro was involved in a health and wellness club called CHAARG which developed her passion for fitness. She got into weight lifting in 2020 which has grown her love for wellness even more.