There is good reason to believe that people who are able to be grateful feel happier and healthier than those who are not. They value what they have, instead of obsessing over the things they want. They always say thank you to others and make others thank them. For them, a new day means a new opportunity to enjoy happiness, not to solve problems. There are people who are born as individuals who are able to be grateful, but everyone can develop themselves so that they have the same perspective. Even if it's difficult, you'll be grateful for trying!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Be grateful for what you're going through
Step 1. Take time to be grateful for your life
Sometimes taking a break is a great way to calm yourself and focus your mind. Determine the things that you deserve to be grateful for. The opportunity to rest is also a good reason to be grateful.
- While at work, school, or elsewhere, take time to walk around the building or take a leisurely 15-minute walk in the park enjoying the fresh air and reflecting on how grateful you are for having the opportunity to rest, stretch your legs, feel the warmth of the sun, etc..
- Take advantage of every moment to observe the little things to be grateful for, such as a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a pillow that supports your head at night.
Step 2. Tell someone that you are grateful to them
Sometimes, the busyness of everyday life makes you forget to say how much the other person is to you or to notice what he or she does and appreciate it. Saying thank you to others creates a mood of gratitude that spreads slowly. For example:
If your wife prepares lunch for you, take the time to call or text her, "Honey, thanks for preparing lunch for me every day. Your help means a lot because I don't have to rush in the morning."
Step 3. Talk about things you are grateful for when you are with your family
Set aside time, for example at dinner, to share an experience you've been grateful for since the morning. Give each family member an opportunity to share something they are grateful for.
- Get in the habit of getting together with your family and take advantage of this opportunity to tell at least 1 thing you're grateful for before dinner.
- Tell me specifically about your experience. For example, instead of saying to your children, "Thank you for helping Mom," you could say, "Thank you for helping me take care of the plants every weekend."
Step 4. Send a message to say thank you
This easy step has a huge impact on the recipient. A thank you message is a way of appreciating the person who has given something (time, effort, gift) to you of their own accord. You don't have to write a long essay to say thank you. Instead, write a few sentences that express how much he means and what he gives you.
- Thank you via WA, email, voicemail, etc. still feels good to the recipient, but a handwritten message will feel even more special.
- To say thank you in writing, you can write a short message on a piece of Post-it paper or write it on a card and send it with a rose or a heart-shaped gift.
Step 5. Say thank you by giving something to someone else
It's not enough to say thank you if you just say thank you to other people. You need to contribute to the community and friends. However, this does not mean that you have to give in return for what you have received so that no one "ows" anything. Give something to someone else because this action is right and good to do.
- Provide assistance in person if you know someone who needs help. For example, take your grandmother to a friend's house to fulfill an appointment or help a friend who is moving house.
- If you don't know him, continue his work. For example, become a mentor to repay the kindness of a mentor who once taught you on campus.
Step 6. Focus on the intention behind the kindness you receive
When someone does you a favor by giving you a gift, bringing you hot food, or helping you review and edit your thesis, remember that they are sharing kindness with you. For that, he sacrifices time, money, or anything else of value in order to do good for you.
This awareness is able to create an atmosphere of life full of gratitude. This will be transmitted to others through your actions and words, especially if you have young children
Step 7. Say "thank you" regularly
Say thanks to the barista who prepared the coffee for you, to the person who opened the door for you, to the technician who fixed your phone. Say thank you out loud to instill gratitude in your heart and life.
- Use the word "thank you" as a prayer or mantra. You can be grateful for a certain thing or just say it over and over in your head. For example, say thank you for the food you ate this morning, the rain that watered the trees, the raincoat that protected your body from getting wet, and so on.
- Feeling grateful (and saying it out loud) can help with anger, anxiety, depression, and other health problems.
- When thanking someone else, make eye contact and smile so they can feel your sincerity.
Step 8. Find reasons to be grateful even if it's difficult
Sometimes, living conditions make you unable to be grateful. However, you need to develop the ability to be grateful to be able to deal with problems in a better way than getting angry or upset.
- In order to be able to be grateful for something that is difficult or a boring job, make a list of positive things from the job, for example you get money to buy food and have a house, you have the opportunity to take the bus to work while enjoying the beautiful morning sun, and so on.
- If you've just broken up, give yourself time to feel sad. Instead of ignoring the emotions you feel, such as sadness, anger, etc., being grateful means putting your emotions in control. After setting aside time to grieve, write down everything you learned or were grateful for during the relationship and what you're grateful for because the relationship ended.
Method 2 of 3: Forming a Mindset That Can Be Grateful
Step 1. Keep a diary as a means of gratitude
Write down things you are grateful for each day to instill gratitude into your memory. No matter how difficult your life is right now, there is always something to be grateful for. The ability to see this helps you deal with the unpleasant side of life.
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for every day. You can be grateful for everyday events, such as "The sun is shining," or important events, such as "I got a job."
- Set aside a little time each day to reflect on what you are most grateful for. Turns out, there are more than 5 things to write about.
- If you need a reminder, download a phone app that reminds you to be grateful by keeping a diary.
Step 2. Read the diary again if needed
When faced with difficulties, take advantage of the notes you have made. When things are really tough, try to find the smallest things to be grateful for.
For example, someone with a critical illness can still be grateful when a nurse serves dinner, a warm bed, or a pet cat sits on their lap. Through small things like this, something big (illness) is easier to deal with
Step 3. Ask a friend to help you become more grateful
Tell a friend or family member that you want to be a grateful person and then ask for help. Make sure you choose someone who makes you feel comfortable sharing things you are grateful for. Also, make sure that he is able to support you in being grateful when you are negative or complaining.
Do this reciprocally. This means that both of you support each other so that you become a person who is able to be grateful
Step 4. Change perspective on adversity
People who are able to be grateful also live lives that are just as difficult as you. In fact, those who are grateful face fewer problems. They understand that the trigger for the problem is not the difficulty encountered, but rather the perspective of the difficulty that makes the problem easier or more difficult to overcome.
For example, if you have to work to pay for college, see this as an opportunity to learn to be responsible, not to lose free time
Step 5. Use the right words to describe your life
The situation will become more complicated if you use negative words and labels. This condition makes it more difficult for you to be grateful. For example, labeling a "terrible disease" will create a more negative perception than "an illness that is being suffered". Also, "illness" doesn't become a part of who you are because you use neutral, rather than negative, words.
Put gratitude into the sentences you use to describe your life. For example, "Even though I am sick, I am grateful that I have received good treatment and that my family always takes care of me."
Step 6. Be positive about yourself and others
Criticizing yourself and others makes you unable to be grateful. If you notice that you are thinking negatively about yourself and others, stop immediately and think about something useful. For example, if you say to yourself, "I'm so stupid at math," change it to, "I don't know how to do this math problem yet."
Changes in words and perceptions will change your perspective so that the problem is not you, but something that is not connected between you and the problem that is happening and you are able to overcome it
Method 3 of 3: Maintaining Mental and Physical Health
Step 1. Eat nutritious food
Make sure you eat foods that make your body feel good so you can be more grateful. Get used to eating vegetables and fruits, such as spinach, carrots, and bananas; healthy carbohydrates, such as brown rice, whole grains, and oats; protein, such as salmon, nuts, lean meats, and eggs.
- Choose a balanced and varied diet because the body needs protein and healthy carbohydrates. Don't just eat vegetables and fruits.
- Do not eat foods that contain sugar and salt.
Step 2. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
Water is needed for every cell of the body and brain to work properly. Drink water little by little as often as possible and do not wait until you feel thirsty.
Be grateful every time you fill a glass or open a drinking bottle because there is clean and fresh water to drink. Remember that millions (perhaps billions) of people cannot enjoy this luxury
Step 3. Get in the habit of getting a good night's sleep
A good night's sleep plays an important role in maintaining health and feeling happy which makes you more able to be grateful. While you may still be grateful when you live a life full of anxiety and sleep deprivation, it's easier to develop the ability to be grateful if you get enough sleep.
Make a schedule for sleeping at night and getting up in the morning and applying it consistently. Set up a comfortable bedroom and have a relaxing routine before bed. Turn off all electronic devices before bed
Step 4. Exercise regularly
When you exercise, your brain produces endorphins, chemicals that trigger feelings of happiness by controlling your emotions and making you feel more comfortable. This condition makes you able to be grateful and becomes a motivator to get used to saying thank you.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, for example by running, dancing to music, or practicing yoga
Step 5. Do meditation regularly
Meditation is very useful to overcome mental health disorders and problems in everyday life. In addition, meditation makes you able to be grateful and grateful.
Find a quiet place to meditate for at least 15 minutes a day. Sit in a comfortable posture while breathing deeply and calmly. Focus on the breath. If the mind is distracted, just ignore it and let it pass by itself while exhaling
Step 6. Practice focusing your mind
By being aware of the present, the mind is not easily distracted so that it imagines things that have not happened or regrets what has happened. This exercise allows you to be grateful because when you practice, you focus on what is happening and be grateful for what you are experiencing.
- Focus your mind while eating. Focus on the food you put in your mouth: is it hot or cold? what is the texture like? Is it sweet, sour or salty?
- Do the same technique when walking or sitting on the porch. Pay attention to the color of the sky and the shape of the clouds. Use your nose to find the source of a particular scent. Hear the wind in the trees.
Tips
- Don't beat yourself up if you haven't been able to be grateful all the time, for example when you complain or get annoyed when you have a problem. Although difficult, make this one of the goals to be achieved.
- Being a person who is able to be grateful does not mean being free from bad things or not being affected by what is happening. Gratitude makes it easier for you to live your daily life and is beneficial for maintaining mental health.
- You can't control what happens, but you can determine how you react to things.
- Thanking other people for the little things they do for you (at least once) makes them feel appreciated. Saying thank you makes yourself and others happy.
