#5 Gratitude: Does it impact your well-being?

Do you ever find yourself taking life for granted? Many of us seem to be constantly moving from task to task without much time to stop and take stock of where we are at. ​

​‘Busy” is a badge we wear with pride and we tend to put our heads down, shoulder to the wheel and seldom (if ever!) take the time to reflect or look up. Not “looking up” is unfortunate. It robs us of the opportunity to generate positive emotion by savouring our successes, reflecting on what we have achieved and giving thanks for those who have helped or supported us.

​Albert Bandura argues that we pass too quickly and too lightly through our successes and conversely tend to fixate on where we have fallen short. So, how does this impact on our well-being?

Martin Seligman’s work in the area of positive psychology outlines 5 key factors in the pursuit of happiness and well-being; Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment (PERMA).

One of the most effective pathways to positive emotion is practicing gratitude every day. In positive psychology research, gratitude has been linked to increased happiness, improved health, better relationships and even increased resilience in the face of challenging situations. Pretty profound results for such a simple practice!

Do yourself a favour for the next week. Begin a new habit. Before the end of each day, stop and soak in the positive experiences of the day. Call to mind one thing that went well and three things be grateful for. This simple task can set you on a path to improved happiness and it won’t take you longer than a couple of minutes!