Is it possible by choosing to be grateful that you could see an improvement in your mental health? If you’re looking to see positive changes in your physical health, read further to get advice from a therapist in Greenville, SC and if being grateful can help you with how you feel and share your emotions.
Gratitude is a characteristic that allows a person to perceive and appreciate the good around them. It opens their eyes and mind to see and feel the meaningful areas of their life. It is choosing a mindset that allows you to look for the good, positive, and meaningful areas of your life instead of focusing only on the hard struggles and what is negative.
Choosing gratitude is a mindset and practice that will help us as we experience life, including the past, hard seasons and challenges of daily living.
There are some wonderful benefits to choosing gratitude. These benefits are good for our bodies, mind, and emotions.
Physically, gratitude can help with:
- Reducing stress and how it manifests itself in our bodies
- Can help to lower blood pressures
- Boosts our immune systems to be stronger
- Can help to improve our quality of sleep
Mentally, gratitude can help with:
- Focusing our mind on a positive experience
- Helping us to look for and experience good
- Start to help us be more present in the moments of our day
- Help to gain momentum in choosing our mindset and not being pulled along by the experiences of the day or the tone set by someone else
Emotionally, gratitude can help with:
- Feeling less sad
- Being able to recognize and appreciate what we do have in our lives instead of focusing on what we feel is missing
- Feeling less worried when you are able to see other concerns have worked out in a positive way previously
- Experiencing more peace during your day
- Feeling Calmer
Choosing to be grateful can start at any time with just one choice.
Choosing today to look for one good thing in your day such as:
- a smile from a stranger
- delicious foods you ate
- a nice text from a friend
- complimenting someone on a task well done today
- a beautiful flower you saw on the way to work
- warm weather for your walk tonight
- enjoying the fall decorations
- and so many more good things that if we can be present for a moment we may see
Once you start to be present and soak in these moments, you will be able to see how choosing gratitude can make a difference in your life in a positive and meaningful way.
How can I choose to practice more gratitude in my day? Here are some suggestions to try:
- Choose each day to see the good around you
- Keep a journal and record each day the good you see. Nothing is too small to record
- Be open to accepting good things. Often, we may love to be a giver, but can have trouble receiving
Keep margin in your schedule to exhale and slow down a bit- Be present in the moment
- Look for opportunities to give kindness to others
- Practice saying thank you
- Be mindful of your 5 senses and enjoy how they enhance your life
- Think about others you are grateful for and share that with them
- Take a few moments at the end of each day and think about the good things in this day. How much good can you count?
Choosing to be grateful can be a difficult change for some who have experienced pain, sorrow, and hard seasons in their life. If this is something you are struggling with, our therapists would love to work with you and help you to make positive changes to encourage and support your mental health needs.
Want to learn more about gratitude and how it can help you? Book now with our therapists in Greenville, SC.
If you’re looking for support in understanding and increasing your gratitude this next season, a therapist at Upstate Restorative Counseling can help, Learn more about Upstate Restorative Counseling in Greenville, SC.
Other Services Provided by our Therapists in Greenville, SC
We know that life is hard, you’re not alone in dealing with it. Upstate Restorative Counseling provides other services that can help you! We provide assistance with counseling in Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Navigating Life Transitions, Resolving Relationship Issues, and Online Therapy. When you are ready, our team is here to support you.