How to Practice Gratitude

Being grateful can be a game changer for your business.  Being grateful or being appreciative for even the small things in your life and business can be empowering, especially if you convey that feeling to clients, as well as family and friends. Being grateful can give you strength and a better perspective to deal with challenging situations.

Other Reasons To Be More Grateful:

  • You’ll be more positive: Being grateful will make you more optimistic, which in turn will boost your happiness.
  • You’ll be more resilient: Practicing gratitude gives you a sense of perspective. You’ll have a better sense of what really matters.
  • Your physical and psychological health will improve: Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. Also, gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret, according to a gratitude researcher who has studied the link between gratitude and well-being. [1]

Ways to Become More Grateful

Taking some time out every day to think about what you have is certainly one way to become more grateful but you may want to consider these other actions to incorporate gratitude into your everyday activities.

Have a grateful mindset: When you wake up, think about one thing you are grateful for. It’ll start your day on a more positive foot.

Be in the moment: Be in the present and not focused on what has happened or what may happen.  When you are in the moment, you have better perspective.

Demonstrate your appreciation for others: Let others know that you are grateful for them and for the ways they enhance your life. Demonstrate that appreciation by doing something nice for them.  For employees, you might give someone some paid time off, send them to an industry conference or trade show on your behalf or treat them to special lunch or dinner

Keep a gratitude journal:  On a daily basis, jot down several things that you feel grateful for. Even small things are worthy of note. For example, you may have received a compliment from a client.  Someone may have inquired about working for your spa or massage practice because they heard it was a great place to work. You may have just finished a continuing education course to acquire new massage therapy skills to expand your service offering.

Be social about your gratitude:  Use your social channels to share something you feel grateful about. You may find others will reinforce your message with their own positive thoughts, which will enhance your own feelings of gratitude.

Don’t compare yourself to others:  You always will find someone who is richer, more successful or more well-known.  Comparisons will just diminish your sense of self-worth. So don’t compare yourself to others and what they have. Be grateful for what you have and your achievements.

Think positive thoughts: When a negative thought comes into your mind, try to reverse it. Think of something positive instead.

Ask how someone is: Check in on someone you are grateful for. A simple, “How are you?” will also be appreciated. Listen attentively to their answer.

Smile more: Smiling shows others you are happy and grateful.

Find the good in the bad: Look for the silver linking in a bad situation. It’s not always easy, but it will get you on the path to being more grateful.

When you live a more grateful life, you will be happier and that will draw more people and business to you.

 

[1] Morin, Amy, “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude,” Psychology Today, April 3, 2015. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude
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