This week’s topic may surprise you – even though it’s been in the spotlight in recent years in terms of how valuable it is.
It’s quite simply a game-changer.
That’s a bold claim to make. That’s because using this focusing tool offers us multiple perks –
- It’s been shown to increase productivity 1
- It can help increase our resilience, along with improving general physical health
- It’s not only been found to improve focus but can also increase our sense of empathy and compassion
- It’s been linked to a decrease in feelings of anxiety
- It can actually light up positive neural pathways in our brains and have a positive effect on heart rhythms
- It increases social connections, which can help create opportunities for community
Now, what is this magical tool that can create such a profound impact on our minds, hearts and bodies?
It’s practicing gratitude every day.
It’s a personal thing when it comes to gratitude.
It might be journaling or sharing what you appreciate in your life with a friend or loved ones. It might be being still in nature and feeling a sense of peace, or even excitement.
For myself, I took up a challenge way back in 2014, to participate in a particular FB Group all about gratitude. The challenge was to post 5 gratitudes in the group every day for 90 days. I completed the challenge and realized I was loving it so much that I decided to just keep going. Whilst I’m writing this, I’ve been posting my gratitudes every day for 2,283 days…and counting!
It’s become an integral part of my life. I’ve even made fabulous friends from around the world that I’ve been blessed to meet on my travels including in New York and the UK.
What do you have to lose by focusing on what you’re grateful for? Like many of us, you might find unexpected surprises.
See you on this week’s #AliveWithFi, ciao for now 🙂
1 Research shows that “gratitude impacts [both] mental and physical well-being. Positive psychology and mental health researchers in the past few decades have established an overwhelming connection between gratitude and good health.” What’s one thing you’re currently grateful for in your life?
https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
“The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How it Affects Anxiety and Grief”
M. Roy Chowdhury, (2021)
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O., I.N.H.C., is The LifeStyle Aligner. She’s an experienced practitioner since 1992 in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified Osteopath, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, speaker, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, and Health Brand Ambassador.
