So much of life isn’t a big exciting event.

Your day is probably like mine, filled with an incredible amount of seemingly insignificant moments + challenges. So it’s easy to overlook the good stuff.

These gifts of joy are wrapped in ordinary everyday moments and challenges of life. So it’s easy to be deceived by their disguise. Yet an abundance of extraordinary moments are there everyday, if you choose to see them.

The busyness + challenges of life can stop you from seeing these, unless you know how to see past the distraction.

And the good news it’s as difficult as you might think to see more of the good stuff in your life. You just need to know what to focus on.

Nor does it take long to begin to experience the effects of this new perspective in your life. You can do it in as little as five minutes a day.

And there’s even more good news!
There’s a bunch of other benefits that you’ll want from doing this simple exercise each day.

And it all begins with gratitude.

A simple google search, “research on gratitude”, will result in a multitude of studies that link gratitude to living a better life.

I’ve found gratitude helps you be the best version of yourself. If trains you to see the good and to become a glass three quarters full kinda person. Forget half full, you deserve more than that!

It’s all because of the principle that what you focus on, you get more of! As the Good Book says, where the mind goes, the man follows.

Below I’ve collected seven benefits of gratitude that have an incredibly positive impact on your life. And I’ll show you how to get started with gratitude journalling.

There are many other benefits to cultivating gratitude too. I’m sure you’ll agree that the benefits below are more than enough of a reason to take a few minutes a day to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Like I said it only takes a few minutes a day and all this can be yours too!

Just remember, it’s like compound interest but better, because no financial market can curb your dividends. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of cultivating gratitude.

7 Benefits of Cultivating Gratitude in Your Everyday Life

Perspective

When you practice gratitude over time you will naturally lean towards a glass half full outlook, or as I say the glass three quarters full. It doesn’t mean that life will be all unicorns and rainbows. Although you can see a rainbow on a rainy day.

Having the ability to see positive solutions is a handy skill when life isn’t going according to plan. And that happens a lot, if your day is anything like mine.

Sure some people are more natural at this, but it’s a skill that can be learned too.

I discovered that as I practised cultivating gratitude, my thoughts changed. Each day I write down a few things I am thankful for. Over time I noticed gratitude journalling changed what I think about.

When trials come I found that my default way of thinking isn’t what it use to be.

That kind of old style, negative, complaining, victim thinking keeps us stuck. And life’s too short to be spinning our wheels when we can see things differently and find new solutions.

With the change of my thoughts has come a change in my life. It is just like Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he”.

It’s amazing as you start to feel + see the changes taking place in your mind. And it all starts with investing as little as five minutes a day.

Stylish journals that you’ll want to use every day.

Contentment

Gratitude makes us happier + more content. It is a blessing to have contentment in your life. Ecc 5:18-20.

You become more satisfied with where you are and what you have right now.

It’s not about not wanting more. Growing + increase are good things. We are to encourage each other with our gifts + talents. The world needs what you have to give!

Being thankful enables you to enjoy the journey on the way to where you are going.

Strengthens Relationships

There’s no easy way to say this one. When you are content you grumble less + people like being around you.

Praising others + thanking them costs you little but it pays huge dividends. It is also a more powerful method of encouraging change than criticising which pulls others down.

Who doesn’t want to feel lifted up after spending time with friends! Be that friend.

Physical Health

Positive emotion improves your health. When you practise gratitude it triggers a series of changes within your body. You’ll experience benefits such as lower blood pressure, get sick less often + reduce your stress.

What is on our mind when we fall asleep affects the quality of our sleep. Finding a few things to be grateful for before falling asleep induces a relaxation response.

Sounds dreamy… I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the rest so you before you nod off,

Would you also believe that those who keep a gratitude journal exercise more. Exercise we know produces endorphins, the feel good chemical in our body.

So it won’t be a surprise to see that it also…

Strengthens Our Emotions

I love this one.

To have reduced feelings of envy, happier memories, experience good feelings + to bounce back better from stress. are all very appealing benefits to have in your everyday life.

As someone who enjoys memory keeping I was intrigued to learn that our memories can change over time.

Dr Caroline Leaf talks about this in her book, Who Switched Off My Brain. We can continue to reinforce our memories and thoughts when things happen or we can choose to form new thoughts or pathways.

Learning that I could choose to make those kinds of changes in my mind was literally life changing.

And you can do it, one day at a time.

Boost Your Career

Work can be challenging, whether you’re at home or in a workplace.

Who wouldn’t want an advantage if it helps you be a better parent (that’s the toughest career of all), network, make you a more effective person + increases your decision making abilities. I know I need more of that!

Imagine increased productivity that helps you achieve your goals + have more free time!

Cultivating gratitude also makes your home + work space a more pleasant + enjoyable place.

Now tell me you don’t like Mondays!

Pay It Forward

We’ve all heard the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, Acts 20:35.

Gratitude feels good.

Keeping a gratitude journal puts you in a position where you are more likely to help others. Imagine living in a world where gratitude abounds.

When you harness the power of gratitude it will naturally spill into all areas of your life.

Investing time to cultivate gratitude makes you more conscious + mindful of the good in your life. It puts your mind into a different gear. It changes your perspective.

When you are more aware of your thoughts, you can have control over them (2 Cor 10:5), and you can start to experience more of the life you desire.

Stylish journals that you’ll want to use every day.

Like I said earlier, all it take is five minutes a day because gratitude works like compound interest. As you keep investing, the returns grow!

Use these three steps to cultivate an attitude of gratitude

Collect : gather your supplies

Grab yourself a stylish journal and your favourite pen. You can get crafty with some extra stationery + craft supplies for some extra fun.

Reflect : journal your thoughts

Start with thankful and list three things your thankful for in the morning. That should take you no more than a minute.

End with awesome and list three amazing things that happened in your day. It could be something you did, what someone did for you, or something you saw. That’s your second minute.

Use your other 3 minutes to write about one of those amazing things from your day. Dive into the who, what, when, where and how to expand your writing.

Connect : see your investment grow

Be on the lookout for changes in your life.

I still remember the day when I had a particularly challenging situation and I noticed that I no longer thought how I use to about such things. The unhealthy patterns of self defeating stories had changed. They we like an over grown bush track that I just couldn’t get through.

It was only a few months after I began gratitude journalling when friends started asking me what was going on in my life. They could see something had shifted, changed for the better. I hadn’t noticed the gradual change like they did. So it was encouraging to hear what they saw happening in me.

And I can’t wait for you to experience the benefits too!

Choose one of the five stylish gratitude journals and start with thankful + end with awesome! And be sure to pick up one of the just as stylish coordinating digital printable planner kits.

Gratitude when paired with journalling is incredibly powerful. There’s an abundance of benefits for you personally. And all of them help you live a better, more enjoyable life.

All it takes is just five minutes a day to begin experiencing the results for yourself. Make investing in gratitude part of your daily routine and watch the returns grow!