{"id":27699,"date":"2022-11-21T02:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=27699"},"modified":"2022-11-21T02:00:50","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T08:00:50","slug":"gratitude-advantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/gratitude-advantage\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gratitude Advantage: 4 Ways Gratitude Improves Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you watch the news or spend any amount of time on social media, society seems like it's in a tailspin. Whether we're talking about Ukraine, the economy, elections, recessions, or interest rates\u2014it's all a mess.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why I recommend two things:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don't spend too much time consuming the news.<\/b> Yes, stay informed, but don't get sucked into the vortex of negativity that comes from the “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality of content producers.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Focus on what you can control.<\/b> Your business, health, relationships, finances, education, skills, and maybe most important: gratitude.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And since Thanksgiving is this week in the United States, let's spend more time on the subject of gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Gratitude is a virtuous circle. Most of us know this from personal experience. And for the last several years, researchers have come to the conclusion that gratitude is a key component of helping people live happier and longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I know this is true in my life. It seems the more I give thanks, the more reasons I have for gratitude. Even when I suffered an unexpected health issue a few months back, I had much to be grateful for (<\/span>here\u2019s a post<\/span><\/a> that talks specifics, if you don\u2019t know what I\u2019m talking about).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The opposite mindset is a much harder row to hoe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    We all know materialistic people who expect possessions to make them happy. It usually doesn\u2019t work out that way. It\u2019s an empty feeling to love something that can\u2019t love you back. These people are usually unhappy no matter how much stuff they get their hands on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The reason, according to <\/span>researchers at my alma mater, Baylor University<\/span><\/a>, is that by focusing on what we do not have, we are less likely to give thanks for what we do. And gratitude leads directly to feelings of satisfaction and well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How? According to <\/span>research reported by Robert A. Emmons and Anjali Mishra<\/span><\/a>, there are several scientifically supported ways gratitude helps us flourish. Here are four I found especially compelling:<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Gratitude reduces our stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Thankfulness redirects our attention from our difficulties to the benefits we enjoy. It\u2019s like creating a stockpile of good thoughts for tough times. It also helps us reframe our losses and stay connected emotionally to friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Gratitude inoculates us from negative emotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    When we focus on what we don\u2019t have or how our decisions could have turned out better, we leave room for resentment, envy, and regret to build. Gratitude can keep these feelings at bay.<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Gratitude sustains our relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Let me just ask, do you like hanging out with people who gripe and complain? Me neither. It\u2019s gratitude that draws people together, builds trust, and strengthens ties. That\u2019s true in the workplace, among friends, in families, and between husbands and wives.<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Gratitude improves our health.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Grateful people visit their doctors less often and live longer than others. The research shows that thankfulness helps us sleep better, controls our blood pressure, and generally reduces physical complaints.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Given these four ways gratitude can benefit us, I\u2019d say we have some very good reasons to return thanks more than once a year. Cultivating gratitude makes each day worth living and might even give us more days.<\/span><\/p>\n

    However you decide to express your thanks\u2014focusing on your blessings, practicing mindfulness, praying, finding something that triggers gratitude, writing notes to colleagues and friends\u2014you and the people around you will be positively impacted when you allow a sense of gratitude to run in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So this Thanksgiving, let\u2019s give thanks\u2014and make gratitude our default operating system year-round.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What’s the Gratitude Advantage? Researchers believe gratitude is a key component of living happier and longer. Here are 4 ways it helps us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":54138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[1134,66,778,1136,1137,1119,570,388],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Gratitude Advantage: 4 Ways Gratitude Improves Your Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What's the Gratitude Advantage? Researchers believe gratitude is a key component of living happier and longer. 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