Gratitude tips for the festive season

Natural remedies like Stress and Vitality, which helps to manage stress and nervous tension and Organic Magnesium Ultra for relaxing muscle tension, tightness and supporting sleep can provide a helping hand. We also have some top tips for you on how to be grateful and make these holidays your most festive yet. 

The benefits of gratitude

People who regularly express their gratitude are happier, healthier and have better wellbeing overall. The benefits of practising gratitude are nearly endless. As well as experiencing more positive emotions, those who take the time to notice and reflect on the things that they’re thankful for sleep better, are kinder, show more compassion and have even been shown to have a stronger immune system.

Even if you’re not feeling your best, trying to take the take time to show a little gratitude could end up making someone’s day, you’ll also feel better for it yourself too!

How to cultivate an attitude of gratitude

It’s important to take five minutes to stop, look around and notice the things that you’re grateful for every day. Making a note of these things by writing in a journal is a great way to turn this into a daily habit, as well as helping to remind you of the positives in your life on the not so bright days. You don’t have to write it down either it could be in the morning or the evening where you take the time to think about what you are grateful for.

Try to be specific about the things you’re grateful for, it’ll help stay in your mind for longer. Instead of writing “I‘m grateful that my co-worker bought me a coffee this morning,” express why you’re particularly thankful about that gesture. Maybe you were stressed and too busy to get yourself one.

It’s also worth thinking harder about what you’re grateful for. Your health, the relationship you have with your neighbour, having your family home for Christmas. It’ll help you feel much more positive about tasks that may feel draining sometimes (like getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work).

Gratitude is a great habit to teach your children from a young age. You could turn this into a nightly routine. Next time you sit down together at dinner, go around the table and express something that happened that day that each person is thankful for.

A good nights sleep can help you to feel more grateful about things in your life. It’s no surprise that when you’re tired, you’re not the best version of yourself. There are a number of natural supplements to help you get a good night sleep. Fast Asleep and Deep Sleep have both been formulated to assist in the management of stress and supporting a healthy sleep pattern.

Five dos and don’ts of giving and receiving gratitude

1. Do be genuine
False praise and compliments are easy to spot and don’t have the same positive impact as genuine compliments.

2. Don’t give backhanded compliments
You are basically disguising an insult. You might not even notice it, for example asking, “have you lost weight, you look fantastic,” is implying that they didn’t look great before. You might not have meant it like that, but people can be sensitive to these types of comments.

3. Do be specific
A great compliment is one that feels like it is unique to the receiver, being too general can seem like it’s recycled and not as sincere. Focus on a specific achievement or aspect and watch their face as you make their day.

4. Don’t brush off a compliment, it’s like returning a gift
For those people who find receiving compliments difficult enjoy the praise and accept with a simple thank you.

5. Do accept the compliment graciously
Say thank you with a smile and you will make the day of the person giving you the compliment as well. The joy of giving and receiving is a huge part of the festive season. So whilst presents are always a treat at this time of year, it’s important to also look around and appreciate all the positive things in life that are not bought with money, like our family and friends.