The Gratitude Challenge, Part 2: 5 Reasons to Count Your Blessings
5 Reasons to Count Your Blessings
Thanksgiving is on the way, but you might be feeling less than thankful. It’s been a rough year, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, so we get it. But there are benefits to digging deep into your thankfulness reservoir – enough benefits, that this is an exercise we think everyone should get behind. Here are five reasons you should count your blessings.
1. Thankfulness is a cycle.
When you learn to recognize the blessings in your life, you’ll start seeing them in more places. The more thankful you are, the more thankful you’ll be. This is a snowball effect that you want to get rolling!
2. Thankfulness introduces positivity.
We know you know what we’re talking about. When you’re grumpy, lots of things irritate you that you wouldn’t normally bat an eye at. Grumpiness begets grumpiness, right? Well, the reverse is also true. When you look at things with gratitude, your positivity is like a beam of light that illuminates the things around it as well. Thankfulness can actually make you happier.
3. It’s good for your health.
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but gratitude may also have health benefits. Certain studies have linked gratitude with reduction in headaches, sore throats and congestion. Not all studies have found a correlation, but it’s certainly worth a try.
4. Gratitude is great for your relationship.
As we mentioned in a previous blog post, a study found that gratitude between relationship partners created a positive cycle. The study found that the partner receiving the thanks was motivated to continue the behavior that prompted the thanks, and the thanking partner was motivated to reciprocate the behavior. Just another reason to appreciate your partner, and let him or her know that you do.
5. It just feels good.
Thankfulness is like a warm and fuzzy blanket that you wrap yourself in to watch your favorite movie. Why wouldn’t you want to participate in something that is as comforting and satisfying as a steaming cup of soup on a blustery evening?
We hope you can set aside some time to count those blessings and head into a mindset of positivity and gratitude this Thanksgiving season and beyond.
The Gratitude Challenge: Staying Thankful When Things Are Hard
The Gratitude Challenge
It’s no secret that 2020 has been hard on everyone. It doesn’t make you a negative person to acknowledge the toll it has taken on you.
But it’s neither useful nor productive to dwell on the difficult. Instead, research has shown that taking the time to count your blessings can actually make you happier. A 2011 study found that gratitude between relationship partners created a positive cycle in which the partner being thanked was motivated to continue the behavior that prompted the thanks, and the thanking partner was motivated to reciprocate the behavior.
The Challenge
Whether you welcome the approaching holiday season with open arms, or whether it leaves you feeling bereft, now is a particularly good time to focus on the positive and take the 21-day gratitude challenge.
If you search online for “gratitude challenge,” you’ll find a number of different options. What we’re suggesting is very simple, but still effective in lifting those spirits.
Get a small notebook and number the pages 1-21. Then, each day, write three things that you are grateful for. No repeats! And they can be as big or as small as you’d like. The point is to start looking for the positive in even the most seemingly insignificant interactions or events. Here’s an example:
On Day 1, I’m thankful for:
- Waking up in my comfortable bed.
- The supermarket clerk who was so friendly during check out.
- The wide sidewalks in my neighborhood that are great for strolling or jogging.
The great thing about this exercise is that it can help you learn to be a blessing to other people. If you find that you are often grateful for positive interactions with others, you can strive to provide those sorts of interactions with your circle or strangers that you encounter.
And by the end of the 21 days, we think you’ll find that you’re an expert at pulling your own happiness wagon.