Gratitude has the power to change your day completely!
I had an experience a while back where I was feeling quite overwhelmed. I went for a walk in the bush and found that although I was in nature, my mind kept drifting back to the source of the anxiety.
I decided to get firm with my mind, I would keep gently bringing my mind back to the present moment and being grateful for nature, for the sea, for what I was seeing and experiencing right then and there.
After about 5 minutes, my mind stopped drifting, and my sense of wellbeing shot up. I wondered if it was going to last, and it did. That same level of anxiety around that topic did not return at all.
Something that runs in my family is volunteering. A review of the research on volunteering and philanthropy Konrath (2014) found that volunteering increases psychological wellbeing across ages and cultures. It boosts happiness, empathy and health!
Another fun fact: A group called Gratitude Seeds found writing a letter of gratitude increases your happiness from 2-4% but calling the person and telling them increased it to 19%! It also seems that the most significant jump starts from the lowest amount of happiness, meaning that if you are feeling depressed or down, that is the BEST time to pick up the phone and tell someone how grateful you are for them.
Also, have you heard about my FREE 5-Day Self-Care Program? It takes you through a holistic journey over just 5 days and includes 2 FREE guided meditations. My gift to you.
Much Love, Jen
References
Konrath, S. (2014). The Power of Philanthropy and Volunteering. In Wellbeing, C.L. Cooper (Ed.). doi:
Borgonovi, F (2008). Doing well by doing good. The relationship between formal volunteering and self-reported health and happiness. Social Science & Medicine,
Volume 66,(11), 2321-2334.