20 Magical Benefits Of Gratitude

How do I practice gratitude?

Yes, I practice gratitude daily.

And I believe in 2 types of gratitude:
→    Micro-gratitude
→    Macro-gratitude

Let me explain what I mean in 3 steps.
And how I practice gratitude.

1.    First, I’m a big believer in gratitude.
I think gratitude it’s one of the fastest ways to feel happy.
Since I was a child, my mum always pushed gratitude in my mind.
And kindness, too.

Her two favorite phrases were:
→    “You have to say thank you”
→    “You have to be kind”

Or if you prefer in Italian:
→    “Devi dire grazie”
→    “Devi essere gentile” 🙂

Also, every time I complained about something, her words were:
→    “Think about poor African children who have nothing”

And I immediately felt grateful — even though I had “nothing”.
At the end of the day, it’s all about perspective, right?

2.    Now, let’s talk about micro and macro-gratitude.
Let’s start with macro-gratitude.

By macro-gratitude, I mean this:
→    Having a couple of minutes each day to express gratitude
So, it’s a classic gratitude practice.

My macro-gratitude practice is this:
→    I look at the photos of my parents and grandparents
→    I remember a moment together
→    I say “Thanks”
That’s it — 30-40 seconds per photo.
Total: 2-3 minutes.
Simple, right?

3.    Now, let’s talk about micro-gratitude.
What do I mean by micro-gratitude?
I mean integrating micro-doses of gratitude throughout the day.
Like for 5-10 seconds.
Why?
Because it boosts our mood — at least for me.

Now, I know what you wanna say:
→    “I barely have time to eat. How can I also find time for that?”
I get it.
Let me tell you what I’ve been doing in the last few months.
So, I work in 50-minute slots with a 10-minute break.

Which means:
→    I work for 50 minutes
→    And rest for 10 minutes

This happens 12 times a day.

In the last 2 minutes of those 10-minute breaks, I do this:
→    I run in place while looking at nature out of the window.

Why?

To increase my heart rate and restart with more focus.
So, after those 2 minutes, I decided to incorporate 5 seconds of gratitude.
How?

By simply looking at nature and saying “Thanks”.
This means I say ’12 Thanks’ a day.

Now, I know it seems complex, but you know the secret of habits:
→    Add the new habit to an existing one
Right?

So, my daily gratitude sounds like this:
→    Macro-gratitude: 2-3 minutes
→    Micro-gratitude: 5 seconds, 12 times a day (1 minute)
Total: 3-4 minutes of gratitude a day.

Now my question is:
→    Are you willing to invest 3-4 minutes a day to feel happy?