Bid 2021 a thankful goodbye -
Usher in 2022 with an attitude of gratitude

By Portia, iSabel Confidant   |   Jan 10, 2022

Grateful people tend to be happier people. The ability to appreciate the small everyday pleasures and the big breakthroughs, feeling blessed for family, good health, good weather, a stranger lending a helping hand and acknowledging it, can help us develop an attitude of gratitude. And there is so much to be grateful for! 

The pandemic has impacted many of us at varying degrees so it’s not unusual that we experience a sense of uncertainty, fear or anxiety. However, recognizing the goodness in our lives even during overwhelming and challenging situations can help calm us and enable us to move forward with hope.

Giving thanks aids good emotional health and wellbeing; emotionally, it can increase joy, happiness, hope and satisfaction; physically, it can improve our immune system, fitness levels and quality sleep; socially, it can help us be more empathetic, compassionate and forgiving.

Gratitude is an emotion, a mood, a personality trait and a skill that can be developed with practice. Choosing positivity and thankfulness can boost happiness, bring us a sense of fulfilment and help us contribute meaningfully to an enriching and loving environment.

Here are a few simple ways on how you too can develop an attitude of gratitude:

  • appreciate the goodness around you (nature, an act of kindness, a tasty meal)  

  • tell the people in your life how much you love and care for them

  • keep a Gratitude Journal; list a few good things as a daily gratitude exercise

  • nurture friendships and do random acts of kindness

  • say thanks or offer a kind word to people who make your life easier 

  • compliment others authentically

  • smile and laugh more often

  • go on a mindful walk 

  • be grateful for the bad experiences too they make us stronger