Research has found that being more grateful can improve health and emotional well-being. The study found that people who showed gratitude:
• Felt better about their lives.
• Were more optimistic.
• Were more energetic.
• Were more enthusiastic.
• Were more determined.
• Were more interested.
• Were more joyful.
• Exercised more.
• Had fewer illnesses.
• Got more sleep.
• Were more likely to have helped someone else.
I started a diary a few months ago and reading it back I realised how much I focussed on moaning. So after a month I changed my diary to a positive one, like this study suggests. Every night I jot two or three things down that made me happy that day. These things can be as small as “I watched Waking Ned today” but still, reading them back resurfaces these small happy memories that I would have otherwise forgotten. I also found that I started writing things that used to annoy me like the small size of my city but putting the positive side of it, that it means I often bump into friends.
Give it a go.
