Being Grateful for National Gratitude Month
November is National Gratitude Month - especially prominent in the US. It encourages people to take a step back and show gratitude towards one another during the month. Not only is it a welcoming gesture, but it also promotes a sense of goodwill that lays the foundation for healthier relationships at work, in the community and in the workplace.
Gratitude enables us to recognise the positive aspects of our lives. It helps people to live happier lives by changing their perspective of the world around them and those in it. Canadian author Stacey Grewal introduced National Gratitude Month in 2015, believing having a sense of gratitude is a golden rule to living a happy life.
Being grateful focuses on finding the good for which you can be grateful. Recent studies have shown that exercising gratitude can positively impact your physical and psychological well-being. People who regularly practice gratitude can better cope with stressful situations along with anxiety and depression. It doesn’t mean forgetting about other aspects of life, just a shift of emphasis
As a bonus, Thanksgiving Day also happens to be celebrated in November. So, if you long for a special occasion to practise gratitude during National Gratitude Month then this is it.
Why Is It Important To Show Gratitude?
Practising gratitude is a healthy exercise with many benefits. Typically, most of us take the blessings of life for granted. Little do we realise that being grateful for them will help increase our positive feelings.
Expressing gratitude is not confined to the people we know or our situation. In fact, exhibiting gratitude encompasses feelings of thankfulness for all the good we experience. A wholehearted congratulations from a colleague on your job promotion or your friends arranging a party to celebrate your wedding should be met with gratitude.
But what makes being grateful so important? Here are some factors that indicate that showing gratitude has real value in all our lives.
Celebrate someone deserving in your life
Showing gratitude to someone leaves the whole group feeling great. Saying "thanks" isn't only for big gestures or important contributions - it's for the small things too. Like saying "thank you for always being the one to make a coffee for the team". Give a shoutout today with a Thankbox.
Practising Gratitude Keeps Us Healthy
Recent studies reveal that practising gratitude is closely linked with our physical well-being. That may a surprise to some. Grateful, more content, people tend to live long and happy lives compared to those who are not. Some studies show that by expressing gratitude you sleep better and can significantly minimise the occurrence and effect of body aches and chronic pain.
A major reason for this health benefit is that grateful people also care about themselves. Apart from being kind to others, they also make efforts to take care of their health. Grateful people will frequently indulge in physical activities or sports to keep them in shape. Having a heightened sense of self-awareness they also focus on consuming a balanced diet, which ultimately leads to better health.
Gratitude Leads To Improved Mental Health
Keeping emotions under control is a challenge many people face. Many people can tend to get carried away, or lose control, in pressured situations. Although it seems as if it’s no big deal, it can significantly impact your quality of life and relationships in the long term.
However, exercising gratitude can turn the tides in your favour. Being thankful for all the positive things in your life helps combat harmful, more negative, thoughts and emotions. Gratitude allows you to convert your resentment and anger into kindness and love. It also teaches us to be forgiving, enhancing our sense of joy and keeping mental disorders such as stress at bay. That must be a good thing!
Gratitude Promotes Healthy Relationships
Maintaining healthy relationships while developing new ones can be a challenge. Existing relationships have certain expectations that you must fulfill to keep them flourishing. If you fail to deliver, you might risk losing close friends or colleagues.
Similarly, developing new relationships is also not easy. Both parties have expectations of one another, which can quickly fade away if you do not show interest. Making consistent efforts toward your relationships is key to keeping them unbroken and healthy.
A really great way to promote healthy relationships is by being grateful. Expressing appreciation towards those in your life will help improve existing relationships and foster positive development in new ones. Some studies show that expressing thankfulness to new people in your life can significantly increase the chances of healthy relationships developing.
Be mindful that acknowledging other people's contributions can lead to healthy relationships, which in turn can further lead to new opportunities. Everyone’s a winner!
How Can You Show Gratitude?
You can express feelings of appreciation towards others in many ways. National Gratitude Month is the perfect time to connect with your friends, family, and colleagues to let them know they are loved. You can express your feelings towards them by spending time with them or saying words of appreciation.
You can also practice gratitude by becoming a part of others’ happiness. You can celebrate special occasions with them and recognise their accomplishments. Saying a few words of praise is of great benefit.
Show Your Gratitude as a Group or Team
Another way of expressing gratitude is through appreciation, or 'thank you' cards. Cards are tailor-made to reinforce positive feelings with other people by recognising their contribution, achievements and special place in a life.
This is especially true in the workplace where many take colleagues and their contribution to work culture and performance for granted. You can celebrate their special moments together while letting them know that you are thinking about them. Remember that even a simple congratulations message would hugely impact your relationship with them.
Thankfully, with technology, you can utilise digital resources such as online group cards to very easily show gratitude. If you are separated by geography digital cards are ideal (paper cards just don't cut it anymore). They are cost-effective, quick to deploy and inclusive for appreciating someone on their achievements or milestones.
Remember, it takes only a short time to think of who you are grateful for and why. Sharing this with your coworkers and using an online, or virtual ‘thank you’ card to show how grateful you are of them is simple thanks to products like Thankbox.
Showing gratitude to others will make you feel better and is a small step to make your world a much better place.
Celebrate someone deserving in your life
Showing gratitude to someone leaves the whole group feeling great. Saying "thanks" isn't only for big gestures or important contributions - it's for the small things too. Like saying "thank you for always being the one to make a coffee for the team". Give a shoutout today with a Thankbox.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
