Gratitude

Gratitude is a fundamental aspect. We take gratitude for granted, but research shows that it increases self-esteem. Just thinking about what makes us happy and grateful and the act of visualizing it every day stimulates serotonin.

Being resentful towards others who have more talent does not help. Gratitude reduces stress, helps in psychophysical recovery and strengthens the mind. It contributes to longevity and improves things from a psychological standpoint hence reducing frustration, envy and regret. Gratitude is closely linked to happiness.

Making a list of things for which you are grateful for every day, (for example objects, people, activities), before going to sleep helps you rest better and longer. Moreover, grateful people behave better and are less aggressive.

Gratitude eliminates the desire for revenge and in sports it can also help prevent injuries- It encourages humility and improves teamwork. This is very important especially in a society that tends to promote individualism.

In team sports, for example volleyball, after scoring a point, the players hug or "give each other a high five".

Although there are pressures and expectations, people who recognize gratitude as being important in their lives take the time to realize and appreciate what to be thankful for. This can include the body, relationships and the activities they perform. Thanking others, shaking hands and hugging have a positive impact on the body and mind.

Being grateful even to those around you and recognizing that there are someprofessionals who are more competent than us, can be a stimulus, not a threat. It is important in the process of achieving gratitude to also change our inner dialogue with ourselves.

Instead of being a victim in life and for example asking the typical questions that begin with "why?,why has this happened to me? or why me?", we can change this "why" into a more constructive word such as "what" or "how".
Other examples of thought conversion include "what is positive in this situation?, what can come out of it?, what have I learned from this?, how can I use this situation to my advantage?, how can I go forward? etc. This is an area where practice is necessary.

There are many cognitive exercises that can be applied both individually and to sport or work teams. They are only taught by a Mental and Performance Coach, www.performanceexpansion.com.

Focusing on aspects we are be grateful for such as activities, people or parts of the body could be one way of developing this ability.

Positive psychology and sport psychology highlight  the many advantages of gratitude such as helping to create team spirit, an incentive to be grateful to people who have contributed to performance, improving feelings of self-efficacy and increasing levels of motivation.

We all have at least something to feel gratitude for. Let's start and end our day with a simple, but meaningful "THANK YOU".