We all know that saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is all part of good manners, but showing gratitude in your life can actually boost your mood and make you a happier person. Read this to see how you should make it a habit.
Bring back thank-you notes
Writing a letter of appreciation to someone who has made a difference to your life, then handing it to them in person, will boost your mood for up to a month afterwards, according to one study. You’ll also reap benefits from sending quick notes, texts and e-mails.
Take time to savour
The more you actively savour the good things, however small (like a great cup of tea, a clear blue sky, a shared joke), the more you increase your capacity to notice them as they happen.
Related: Your anti-ageing timeline
Pin down grateful thoughts
Try jotting down your good things on a gratitude app like Attitudes of Gratitude Journal (free from Google Play), then simply scroll through whenever you need a boost.
Use the negative
You don’t have to focus solely on what went well. Try to imagine what might have happened if you hadn’t met your partner, changed career, lost weight or whatever – it helps counteract the tendency to take benefits for granted.
Related: Change
Watch a sad movie
Watching a tale of tragedy can give you an enhanced sense of gratitude for your own life, according to research.
Make gratitude a bedtime habit
Studies show it’s easier to stick to a new habit if you link it to something you already do regularly. So when you brush your teeth at night, ask yourself: ‘What is good in my life? What went well?’
Photo: iStock/fcscafeine
Also read:
4 surprising health benefits of gratitude
The best things in life are free
