We can all benefit from trying to practice gratitude in our lives. Not only does it highlight the positive things in your life, but it can be a source of strength when you might be finding it hard to notice the good things you’ve got going for you.
What is gratitude?
Do you ever have those moments where you feel thankful for a person or situation? Maybe the sun is shining after a few gloomy days of rain, or you’ve just see your best friend after a long period apart… These moments that come naturally at different times in our lives give us a feeling called gratitude.
Why is it important to practice gratitude?
Expressing gratitude and having gratitude for the good things that happen in life is a big part of building happiness. Quite often, the bad or unfortunate events in life stick out to us like a sore thumb, and the good things can be less easy to notice or focus on.
Practicing gratitude can be a helpful strategy if you’re experiencing a tough time, can boost your mood, and can be shared with family and friends to encourage their happiness as much as yours. In making a special effort to practice gratitude, we can increase how often we feel it and positively influence other areas of our lives.
Benefits of practicing gratitude
- Give yourself an instant pick-me-up and boost mood
- Find more enjoyment in life
- Improves physical and mental wellbeing
- Tough times won’t be as tough
- Feel closer and more connected to family and friends
How to practice gratitude
There are a number of strategies we can use to practice gratitude, and we can do it whenever, wherever! Give these tips a go over the course of your day, it doesn’t take up much time.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Take a few minutes every day or even once a week to think of 3-5 things you’re thankful for and write them down. It might be a moment of kindness from a stranger or something you experienced during your day. It’ll help you keep the positives in mind and is a space to go back and reflect when you need it most.
- Appreciate the little things. We don’t need to save gratitude for the ‘big’ things in life. Anything and everything can bring us joy. Recognise all the good things in life, whether that’s a great PT session you had today or the compliment on your super cute outfit.
- Express how you’re feeling. Tell that person that you appreciate them or give thanks for whatever they do to make you happy. It’ll give you those warm fuzzies, plus brighten their day. A win-win in our book!
- Make time for the ones you love. Whether that’s catching up for coffee, seeing the latest flick at the movies, or simply having a chat – be there for your friends and family when you can. It’ll give you the chance to grow closer and is a great way to support one another.
- Acknowledge your challenges. Experiencing challenges at some point in our lives is unfortunately unavoidable. By acknowledging them we can give ourselves strength and make it easier to recognise our capability to get through it, whatever the challenge may be.
You can even practice gratitude at the gym! We’re grateful for our Fernwood community and we’re so fortunate to be able to work out in the first place. Before your next sweat session, try a gratitude body scan. Start from the tip of your toes and go all the way to the top of your head, mentally acknowledging and thanking each part of your body for taking you through life.
Ready to hit the gym floor? Head to your Fernwood app now and book your favourite class! We guarantee it’ll leave you feeling great and thankful for the community we get to take care of ourselves in.
Not a member yet? No worries! Join now and experience all that Fernwood has to offer. Every membership includes premium group fitness classes, beautiful gym floors and the latest equipment, pristine amenities, and so much more…
