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Our thoughts are incredibly powerful—in fact, they shape our lives because the way we look at the world determines how we feel. If you think positively, you naturally feel more optimistic, even happier.
The good news is that the key to becoming more positive is as easy as becoming more grateful. Gratitude can boost your happiness and even improve your health. Simply being thankful can take you from pessimistic, depressive thoughts to feelings of happiness, joy, and contentment.
Cultivating a practice of gratitude reprograms the brain to scan the world for the positive rather than the negative. And according to psychologist Shawn Achor, when our brain is optimistic, we are more productive, less stressed, and feel more connected to others.
Interested? Here are four practical ways to embrace an attitude of gratitude today:
Cast grateful thoughts backward and forward.
First thing in the morning, focus on something specific you are thankful for from yesterday and replay it in your mind. Then think ahead to something you are looking forward to today. Pair this practice with a daily task—such as showering, eating breakfast, or brushing your teeth—so you remember to do it.
Share grateful words.
Find a time every day to share what you are most grateful for that day—this could be at the dinner table, or with a gratitude partner. Take turns describing in detail the best thing about your day and explaining how it made you feel and why. This allows your brain to replay the scene, and because your brain doesn’t distinguish between the real and replayed version, you double your happiness factor.
Say thanks.
Make a point of thanking at least one person every day, whether by email, in a note, in person, or on the phone. You could praise a colleague, your boss, or a family member. Specific immediate feedback is one of the best management tools because people do more of what they are thanked for. Thanking people not only makes their day, it also boosts your own mood.
End the day by writing.
Before going to sleep, jot down three to five things you are thankful for. Journaling has a profound effect on happiness because it replays the positives, keeps you focused on what you want, and gives you a reference to look back on, which can be handy in challenging times. Once you start, you will often find that your list is longer than you first imagined!
Adapted from an August 2016 Toastmaster magazine article.
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Lauren Parsons, DTM, AS is an award-winning wellbeing specialist, New Zealand’s Keynote Speaker of the Year and Educator of the Year 2023, TEDx speaker, author of Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams, and host of the Thrive TV Show. She is a sought-after speaker who helps organizations create a positive, energized team culture where people thrive. Visit laurenparsonswellbeing.com.
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