Gratitude. You may be asking yourself, “Why is gratitude so important to you all?”. Well, #1, all of us here at Major League University realize that we have so much to be grateful for to get us to where we are at in life. Whether it is the fantastic support we have received from family, friends, and mentors or the unbelievable interactions we receive from you all every single day. We talk about it every day at Major League University, and I figured it was about time to write a blog about it.
More and more studies show the positive impacts that gratitude can play on both your physical and mental health. In terms of physical fitness, a recent study by the University of California San Diego’s School of Medicine found that more grateful people had better heart health. Another study found that gratitude can boost your immune system. In that study, researchers from the universities of Utah and Kentucky found that stressed-out law students who characterized themselves as optimistic had more disease-fighting cells in their bodies.
Harvard Health put out a document called Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier that looked at studies on gratitude’s impact on your mental well-being. One study found that those who wrote about gratitude after ten weeks were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. They also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation. Gratitude can bring you back to a sense of peace. It can allow the time to reflect on what is most important to you. It can become effortless to lose focus of what you are grateful for, significantly as more stress of life impacts you daily, and it feels like everything is coming down around you.
How Can You Practice Gratitude?
There are many ways that you can practice gratitude. There are times it might seem challenging to find out where to start, but there are some straightforward steps that can help you get there:
- Observe Your Daily Habits: Take note of the number of times you are grateful for daily. How many times do you say thank you to someone? When do you reach out to those who played a crucial part in helping you get where you are? When do you give gratitude for even the most minor transactions? Knowing where you stand in terms
- Share Your Gratitude With Others: Don’t be afraid to talk about what you are grateful for with those with whom you have developed a significant relationship. Expressing what you’re thankful for or how grateful you are for someone in your life can help build relationships. Just let those in your life that you care about appreciate them.
- Journaling: Starting a gratitude journal is one of the best ways to start reflecting on what you are most grateful for. It is why we at Major League University developed the Blueprint for Success which can help you develop the skills you need to start gratitude journaling. A study showed that people who keep a gratitude journal have a reduced dietary fat intake – as much as 25% lower. Those who have a daily gratitude practice can also reduce the effects of aging on the brain.
There are so many ways to start to express what you are grateful for. There are times it all comes back to finding your foundation. When you take a step back, figure out what you value, and take the time to reflect on what gives your purpose, you can start to hone in on what you are grateful for. The next time you feel like everything is coming at you at once, take the time to reflect on what you are thankful for. In times of stress for all of us at Major League University, we know that we are grateful for you. We understand that the work we put in to provide you with all the resources you need is why we do what we do. It grounds us. It brings us back to where we can be grateful when things seem challenging. So thank you.
We look forward to bringing you the best possible content and resources to help you navigate the day-to-day craziness of life.
