So What Is Gratitude & How Can it help my Mental Health?
Gratitude is the act of being thankful for something you have or recognising the things others have done for you. Appreciation is the action of feeling thankful. Gratitude is really about focusing on what you do have rather than dwelling on what you don't have!
It can improve your mental health by:
1. Helping you to reduce anger and increase compassion. When your sitting in a state of gratitude it's really hard to be in a place of worry, anger and resentment. Try it, see if you can feel both at the same time. Feeling appreciative and grateful for what you have over what you don't helps you to focus on the positives.
2. Helps to build new relationships and enhance current ones. When we are grateful for the people we have in our lives and truly think about how each of those people contribute to our lives, we shift our vibrational energy from low to high.
3. Helps you to forgive yourself and other people. The truth is that parents make mistakes, but instead of replaying the scenario in your head over and over again and hating yourself for how you reacted, that energy is better focused on what you can do right now to improve the situation. What is the point of holding onto these emotions of unworthiness, self-hatred and not feeling good enough? Is it to punish ourselves? That energy is better used towards improving your relationship with your child, asking for their forgiveness and showing them how much you love, value and support them.
4. It makes you appreciate what you do have instead of focusing on what you don't. When we sit in gratitude, we exude high vibrational energy. When we sit in a place of focusing on what we don't have, we bring our energy levels right down, making you feel terrible!
5. Increases your energy, improves your mood and boosts self-esteem. A game changer for me has been to choose at least one thing about myself daily that I'm super grateful for. This requires me to focus on ME instead of external physical things. This has helped boost my self-esteem and improve my overall mental wellbeing. I know it can be hard at first, because usually we are our own worst critics, but it will help improve your overall wellness!
The Challenge!
Time to print out the gratitude cards (link below), get yourself a gratitude jar and show some gratitude!
Fill in 3 gratitude cards every day over the next 30 days! The 3 cards should focus on the following:
1. On one card I want you to write one physical thing in your life that you're grateful for.
2. One thing about yourself personally that you're grateful for.
3. One relationship or person you are really grateful for.
Try to be as descriptive as possible and really feel into how these things or people make you feel!
Then, when your having a particularly tough day or your kids are driving you crazy, pick out one of the cards to invoke the feelings of being grateful again. Remember you can't be stressed, upset and resentful when your in a state of gratitude!
Have fun with it. Feel free to DM me to let me know how your going and don't forget to tag me on instagram too! #gratitudecardchallenge
Jess Xx
