What people who practice gratitude get that you don’t

Ice packs.

Flat shoes.

A stapler.

These were things I was grateful for on March 29, 2012.

I definitely had a lot going on at that time: I had a young baby, was still fairly new to my job, and had recently had knee surgery. That explains the ice and flats. I’m still stumped about the stapler.

At the time, I didn’t know why, but I felt better after I wrote those things down.

Just lately, I’ve picked up the pen again after learning about the positive and scientifically proven benefits of having an attitude of gratitude. Since I’m always looking for ways to support my clients to reduce stress and overwhelm and restore calm, the findings surprised and delighted me.

Those who practice gratitude experience a number of benefits:

• They get better sleep and wake up more refreshed (source)
• They exercise more (source) (Read my previous post about the stress-reducing benefits of walking in nature)
• They get closer to their goals (source)
• They have lower levels of stress hormones in their blood (source)

So pull out that mighty pen and scribble out things you are most grateful for in your day. If you don’t like to write, take time to simply reflect on the things you are grateful for and re-live those moments.

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”—A.A. Milne

Perhaps you’ll start to see some of these amazing benefits showing up for yourself.