In our stressful day-to-day lives, sometimes we forget to slow down and remember all of the things we have to be grateful for. Most of us tend to get caught up in our goals for the future and what we want to strive to have.
Social media has presented the human race with another level of comparison we did not previously have. It often creates an illusion of perfection that is unattainable, which can have a very negative effect on our mental health, whether we consciously realize it or not.
While it is great to have goals to work hard to achieve, it is also important to remind ourselves of all the things we have accomplished thus far. Integrating practicing gratitude into our lives can keep us more aware of these accomplishments and have a very positive affect on our mental health by lowering our stress hormones.
The brain is extremely powerful and anything you can do to reduce your stress hormones and improve your mental health will have a big impact on your physical well-being.
Write Down Three Things You’re Thankful For Each Day
A good way to add gratitude into your daily routine is to journal about one to three things you are grateful for each day. You can do this first thing when you wake up or right before you go to bed for a few minutes each day. Doing this for just 30 days can instill a much more positive mindset.
Writing things down has a way of helping to solidify our thoughts. It makes figurative things seem more concrete. Instead of just thinking about it, we can hold it in front of us and see it. Making time for reflection and creating a visual representation of all the good in your life can be very powerful.
Journaling is also great because we can re-read journals when we feel like we need to re-center ourselves or if we are in a negative head-space that we are struggling to escape from.
Mindfulness Isn’t The Same Thing As Meditation
The concept of practicing mindfulness is elusive to most. Many people believe that the terms, ‘mindfulness,’ and ‘meditation,’ are interchangeable. While they are similar, they are not quite the same thing.
A lot of people will get frustrated with meditation because it involves disciplined concentration and our minds tend to naturally wander. However, practicing mindfulness is simply acknowledging that your mind is wandering and bringing it back to the present moment.
It is also important to observe whatever thought your mind is wandering to without any judgments. Repeating this practice of a few moments of stillness each morning when you wake up or at night right before you go to bed can increase your overall mindfulness and awareness in your life. Additionally, you can accompany this stillness with deep breathing, much like the breathwork utilized in yoga.
Gratitude And Mindfulness Can Improve Your Health
Many mental and physical illnesses can be improved by practicing gratitude and mindfulness. Stress, depression and anxiety all produce oxidative stress that can create or accelerate physical ailments. Disengaging from negative thought patterns and forging more positive psychology can have exponential healing power for our minds and bodies.
Focusing on the good tends to bring about more good. In that same regard, focusing on negative thoughts and decreasing awareness of the positive facets of our lives can cause more mental and physical health issues for us in the end. Are you cultivating the health and success that you desire? If not, start your gratitude and mindfulness practice today.
Kare Health & Wellness offers various services that help calm the mind and heal the body. Explore some of our services such as massage or our infrared sauna. Being mindful and taking care of your body is the best first step in lowering your stress hormones on your health and wellness journey.
