Varsha Kariya

Gratitude is one of the cornerstones of living a happy and mindful life. It is used as a tool to achieve peace and wellbeing. When it is difficult times, it’s easy to feel drained. Negative thoughts can creep in, which makes it difficult to see the positive ones. However, a simple practice of gratitude can help you to alleviate those feelings. This article takes you through a journey of being grateful and why it is essential to be so.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is a state of mind. It is a small act of acknowledging what you already have and to whom you are grateful. It is acknowledging good things in your life that often come from external sources. It is an offering of thanks to whatever you choose to believe that exists.

The offering can be to a thing or a person that has come into your life. You are offering thanks to God or any higher power which you believe watches over you.

Gratitude feeling is a relationship strengthening emotion. It reminds you that you are constantly supported and loved by others. When you show gratitude for those people, you are firm in their support. It is an emotion as you feel gratitude, and you can express it.

Why is it important?

Gratitude is correlated with happiness and joy. Just remember your body and mind When You thank someone. You might feel the vibes in your heart and the feelings of excitement in your belly. Also, think of a situation where someone else would thank you for your help. It brings you pure joy.   

Gratitude helps you to appreciate all the positive elements in your life and the people in it. You can feel positive in times of uncertainty. Most of you might be familiar with the feeling of dissatisfaction. You may think that your life is incomplete and lack certain things. You may also compare yourself with the lives of others. The practice of gratitude can help you to alleviate these feelings.

Studies have shown that gratitude can bring psychological, emotional, and physical benefits for you.

How to cultivate gratitude?

The importance of gratitude is evident. It is known that the practice of being grateful is beneficial for everyone. 
How about tapping and practicing those?
Here we present you some of the most common ways to be grateful.

Gratitude journal: 

The most common and effective way to practice gratitude is through a journal. It is as simple as writing and recording in a diary. All you have to do if we count the day’s events and record the things or people you are grateful for. 

You don’t need to write this every day. A study suggests that three times per week may also be sufficient. The benefits of a gratitude journal are immense. When you write your gratitude journal, you should at least write five things you are grateful for.

It can be small paragraphs or a simple list of bullet points that highlight the activities of that particular day. 

Gratitude exercises:

Create a visual board that explains all the things that you are grateful for. Once done, you can place it in a prominent place where every day you can see that and be thankful.

Another essential visual method is to write short notes of the names of people you are grateful for. Keep those notes in a jar or a container. This will give you a visual manifestation of the things that you are thankful for. You can also read this as a reminder of your kindness.

Meditate every day, and while meditating, you can be grateful for those who have helped you. You can also thank, for all the things which you have. It allows you to improve emotional regulation and self-motivation. It helps you to focus on the various elements of your life which you are thankful for.

When to practice gratitude?

Most of you might struggle to identify things that are to be thankful for. Here we have highlighted some gratitude that helps you to express gratefulness in different ways.

Enjoy small things in life:

Think about everyday things that you enjoy. Find simple pleasure in these aspects. It may be a small cup of coffee e listening to your favorite song or just simply laying down on your couch. Any activity that brings you pleasure and happiness can be celebrated.

Memories:

You can also focus on the positive moments from the past. Try to remember the memorable days, happy times, and events that you have felt content with and which you think are grateful for.

People in your life:

Each of you may come across many people who will play an important role in your life. They can be your friends, family and even your colleagues. Think about their support during difficult times. And also think about those who are there with you during the good times as well.

Nature:

Nature gives us a lot. You should also be thankful for nature as it provides you the sun on your face, the smell when it rains, the beauty of a flower when it blooms

Being kind: 

When someone is kind to you and helps you, being grateful for them enhances your favorable feelings. Similarly, when you carry out a kind act, you can also celebrate the mutually shared experience.

Acknowledge your accomplishments: 

You would have mastered certain skills and demonstrated your abilities. Highlighting these achievements can help to boost your Self Esteem. Should be grateful for all the things and the people who supported to accomplish these.

Thus we know the power of gratitude. Studies suggest that being grateful can bring many benefits to our mental and physical health. It also shows that happiness and gratitude are closely linked. You can easily practice being grateful at home through a gratitude journal or any other method. You have to celebrate the positive elements of life. 

Try practicing gratitude whenever you have free time. You may be surprised by the benefits that it brings you.

Halloween is the day when people get in touch with their inner child, dress up in funny and spooky costumes to enjoy the day and party. It is the day when kids can go crazy and enjoy bucket loads of candy with trick or treating. But, let’s face it, as fun as Halloween is, it can be a dreadful experience for many. 

The spooky theme can cause a gigantic load on the minds of people suffering from anxiety and stress. Not only that, Halloween marks the starting of the holiday season and the busiest time of the year. So, with a swarm of decorations and holiday chores coming your way, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. 

Getting dizzy? Well, not to worry, we have some tricks that will take your stress away this Halloween season and will allow you to treat yourself with mindfulness, mental peace, optimism mindset, and a healthy stress-free Halloween!

Ways to trick or treat yourself this Halloween

If you also suffer from anxiety and stress especially, around the Halloween season, there are several things you can do to make this day a little easier for you. Although you cannot change your feelings, you can adopt some stress relief activities that can help you calm yourself down and even allow you to enjoy the day. So without further adieu, here are some stress-reducing tips for Halloween. 

Identify the triggers

The first thing you can do is identify the key components that trigger your anxiety and cause you stress. Identifying these triggers allow you to resolve stress more efficiently. You can form a list of how you could control these triggers and adopt different methods to deal with them. However, it is essential to remember that you’re in control, only do things that make you comfortable.

Take a peaceful walk.

Taking a long walk alone or with a companion can greatly reduce the stress and anxiety of Halloween. The light cold breeze, holiday lights, and decorations can bump one’s mood and thus reduce stress and anxiety. You can also adopt walking in your daily routine as it keeps you healthy and your mind stable. However, if you are easily startled by spooky decorations, then you should have a partner with you on these walks.

Perform breathing exercises and meditation

As we all know, mindful breathing and meditation have become the primary methods to reduce anxiety and levitate your mental health. With that being said, these exercises can also help you enormously to reduce Halloween Stress and make it a more joyful and mindful event for you. A simple couple of minutes of meditation and breathing will eliminate your nervousness and put you back in the moment. 

Make time for yourself.

We understand that Halloween is a busy festival. There are countless different things that you have to do. Decorations, shopping, making costumes, cooking meals, and whatnot, not to mention the kids hopping up on candy and having a sugar rush. It is a hectic endeavor that can demand a lot from you. 

So, be sure to carve out some time for self-treatment and self-care. It is important to take a second for yourself, breathe, and figure out the things you have done and things that are left for you to complete. Believe us, this can really save your sanity while tackling Halloween challenges!

Enjoy the parties! 

When we think of Halloween, we think of parties. It is the day where family and friends get together and enjoy the day with creative food, decorations, music, and candy. Lots and lots of candy! So, it also entitles you to have some fun at a party, be it yours or somebody else’s. It is a great way to blow off the stress and tension you endured while preparing for the festival. 

However, if you are sensitive to spooky costumes and scary decorations, you should avoid attending such parties. Instead, you can go for more pleasing themes such as light decorations instead of webs and witch masks, and smiling pumpkins instead of spooky monsters.   

Why can celebrating Halloween be healthy?

While doctors and parents often struggle over the excess sugar consumption that this festival brings to their kids. It can result in many health benefits not only to kids but also to adults. Shocked right?  Here are some of the health benefits that Halloween offers. 

It brings society together.

We are social creatures, and social connections are good for humans. One of the marvelous things about Halloween is that it connects us with neighbors. If you’re an average American, you might not have interacted with your neighbors frequently and probably don’t know many people living on your block. 

Halloween offers a great chance to remedy this situation and allow you to get to know your neighbors. Some studies even showed that such interaction makes you happier, kinder, healthier, and acts as stress relief activities.

It makes you physically active

The tons of chores and decorations are demanding physical activities that every single one of us has to go through. As dreadful as it is, it reflects a positive effect on your body as you are getting more physically active. 

Furthermore, trick-or-treating with young children can also lead to physical benefits. Infants can not trick or treat alone, and while you may not feel it walking door to door with them can surely make you reach your daily exercise goals.  

Shopping is a proven stress buster.

Shopping for Halloween stuff can be a great stress-relieving activity for adults. Studies have shown that retail therapy, when restrained to small expenditures, can elevate your mood by reducing anxiety, stress, and depression levels. 

Although spending hundreds of dollars every day might not be a permanent solution for stress and anxiety, purchasing Halloween costumes, gifts, and other goodies can make your festival “jolly” unquestionably. 

Halloween makes death fun.

Everyone is afraid of dying, and the fear of death is a major factor of anxiety for many people. Halloween is a festival that celebrates that and makes it a little less scary. Just like Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the dead), Halloween is one of many “memento mori” festivals designed to make us aware that death is a part of life.

Final Thoughts

Halloween is a spooky, hectic, but fun-filled festival. While many people experience stress and anxiety during this period, remember, it is a day that acknowledges and celebrates the fears within people. It provides a chance for you to face your fears and grow beyond them. Halloween may be a celebration of death, but with mindfulness and meditation, you can make this day more joyful and full of life!

In today’s modern world, people are pressurized to look and feel in a certain way. This correlates with self-esteem.

What is self-esteem?

Self-esteem is liking yourself.  It is a cognitive and emotional assessment of yourself.

 It is offering yourself value, dignity, and respect.  Positive self-esteem is believing in your ability to learn and achieve. It means that your ideas, feelings, and opinions have worth. 

In other words, it is how you value yourself and relate it to others.  It is also how others treat you. It is made up of all the things that define you as a person. Each of you forms a self-image based on your looks,  talents,  relationship status, and professional accomplishments.

Dimensions of self-esteem:

High self-esteem:

People with high self-esteem have a state of mind that lets them celebrate their strengths, challenges, and weaknesses and feel good about themselves.  They are self-critical. High self-esteem helps you to see beyond yourself. It helps you to feel confident about your place in the world.   It means holding yourself in positive regard. 

Characteristics of people with high self-esteem

• They trust their judgment and capacity to solve problems.
• They do not feel guilty if others do not approve, and they are ready to defend their principles.
• They live in the present rather than worrying about the past or the future.
• They consider themselves equal in dignity to others. 
• They value friendships and relationships.
• They depict less theory of value and enjoy different activities.
• They promote a healthy lifestyle.

Low self-esteem:

People with low self-esteem lack confidence about who they are and their abilities.

They feel incompetent and inadequate. They are often afraid of making mistakes and letting other people down. 

3 ways to overcome lower self-esteem

Low self-esteem has adverse consequences.

• It leads to depression, anxiety, and stress.
• It causes problems in relationships,  friendships, and your professional life.
• It causes high self-blame,  fear of failure, and inability to try new things.
• It can allow you to be vulnerable to alcohol and drug abuse.

Here are a few suggestions to overcome low self-esteem.

1. Question your negative thinking patterns

Try to halt the thoughts which are illogical, unrealistic, and catastrophic. Do Not immediately believe every thought which you have. You may suddenly think about dysfunctional beliefs, which may cause you to behave in a certain way. Instead, Consider telling yourself a more positive story with facts and meaningful messages. 

2. Practice self-compassion.

Nurture yourself. Enjoy simple comforts such as having a cup of coffee in the morning,  taking time to relax, and listening to your favorite song. Experience emotions in a balanced way instead of being overwhelmed by them. Learn to manage your feelings more effectively and productively. 

3. Just ask for help.

Richest people whom you trust and get support from them.  Get the help which you require.  Share your thoughts and listen to others’  perspectives about you. If you have extreme and lower self-esteem, You can seek help from health professionals and counselors. 

Building self-esteem:

Building self-esteem is essential. When you love yourself, you strive for a better life. It is not easy to change the deep-rooted feeling that you have about yourself. But it is recommended by experts to go behind the negative thoughts about yourself and be positive to build high self-esteem.

Ten simple ways to build your self-esteem.

1. Be good to yourself.

Try to challenge the negative thoughts. Try to be kind to yourself. Take care of your body and mind. Try to exercise for at least 20 mins a day. Eat healthy and nutritious foods.

2. Do not compare yourself with others.

You will always feel bad if you start comparing yourself with others. Focus on your own goals and achievements. Do not measure those against someone else’s goals. 

3. Practice self talk

Think of yourself as a friend. Talk to yourself like how you talk to your friend. Be your inner critic.  It encourages you to see the bright side of yourself and curbs negative emotions.  It also helps you find joy in daily activities.

4. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes.

Know that perfection is an unrealistic goal.  Try to achieve the best version of yourself. Also, know that everybody makes mistakes. It is how everyone learns and grows. When you understand this, you can improve your self-esteem. 

5. Do what makes you happy.

Spend time doing the things that you enjoy. It will help you to think positively. Try to schedule a little time only to take care of yourself. Whether it is raining the book, cooking or playing a sport which makes you happy, make time for that.

6. Celebrate small things in life

When you celebrate small things and events in your life, you are acknowledging your worth. Small things bring joy to your life. Learn to live in the present rather than worrying about happiness in the future. 

7. Forgive yourself.

Accept whatever has happened and show compassion to yourself. You need to face what has happened and forgive yourself. It is also the most challenging step and boosts your self-worth and confidence. 

8. Avoid negative thoughts

Negative thinking contributes to anxiety and low self-esteem. Know your intention behind those thoughts. Alter your thinking to value yourself more. When negative thoughts arise, try to replace them with positive ones. 

9. Take a break

It is harder to maintain your self-belief each and every minute of the day. Give yourself a break and try to feel good about yourself. It can boost your confidence and self-esteem when something is wrong or when you have a bad day. Just be kind to yourself. 

10. Take on challenges

Challenge your negative belief by accepting new and difficult situations. Accept challenging tasks. You need not do everything by yourself, but you can seek help from others as well.  When you Succeed in that, you will know what you can achieve. This improves self-esteem by challenging your negative beliefs.

In conclusion, just feel good about yourself. Acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses and accept who you are. Boosting self-esteem can help you to feel more secure and valued. Remember that you are always worthy of something. Boost your confidence with Joyscore.

Happiness habits and happiness can vary for everyone. It can be having a good relationship with loved ones or feeling secure with a good network of friends. Or it may be just being at peace with who you are. 

Whatever your version of happiness might be, a life full of joy is within your reach. Just a few changes to your daily routine can help you get there.

Both good and bad habits are deeply ingrained in you. Why not make happiness habits a part of your routine?

Here are a few happiness habits to add to your daily routine:

All of these may not fit your lifestyle. Keep aside a few minutes daily, and you will figure out what works and what doesn’t.

1. Always smile

You smile when you are happy. Did you know? It’s a two-way action. When you smile, your brain releases dopamine, a chemical messenger which makes you happier. It does not mean that you have to depict a fake smile on your face all the time. But when you are dull and not feeling well, just crack a smile. It will do wonders for you. Smile at yourself and others every day.

2. Take care of yourself

Do not neglect self-care even though you are busy. Take a hot bath, go for a walk, Set aside time to do what you love. Just watch movies or listen to your favorite song. Have a self-care ritual, put it in your planner but do it.

3. Sleep well

Remember that adequate sleep is essential for good health, brain function, and emotional well-being. Adults require a minimum of 6 hours of sleep every day. Sleep with a calm mind and reserve an hour before bedtime as a quiet time. Do something relaxing and avoid eating heavily before sleeping. Have a routine that has sleeping and waking up at the same time every day.

4. Practice mindful eating

Food choices have an impact on your physical health. You need to have control over your eating habits. Mindful eating means giving full attention to the food that you eat.  It involves eating slowly without any distraction. You have to engage your senses by noticing smell, textures, and flavors. Consider having a balanced diet. 

5. Compliment others

Bring a ray of sunshine in someone’s life by complimenting them. It will boost your confidence and happiness. Smile often at others, and you will be surprised by how good that makes you feel. 

6. Practice deep breathing

Whenever you feel stressed, just take deep breaths. It will help you to calm yourself. Practice this for 5-10 minutes every day. It allows you to reduce anxiety. 

7. Jot down your thoughts –

Organize your thoughts and make plans. Jot them down before going to bed. You can shred that thought if you do not like it. It helps you to analyze and look back at the causes of your feelings.

8. Declutter your mind

Set aside 30 mins a week to declutter your mind. What can you do in these 30 minutes? A lot. Sit in a quiet place, have deep thoughts. Try to clean up your mental space. Put everything in order. Think about how you can set your day and about the priorities. Write down all the good things and let go of unnecessary negative thoughts. Practice this, and you will know how peaceful and calm you could be.

9. Go outside

Spend time in green nature around you. Practice a habit of taking a walk for 15 mins every day. It might be your backyard or a park nearby. Appreciate nature and fresh air. Make it a daily habit. Turn yourself into a happier and more relaxed version of yourself. 

10. Talk to your friends

Talk to your family and friends. Share your feelings with them. It boosts your happiness and improves self-confidence.  Healthy social relationships are indicators of a joyful life. Talk in person or use any of the modern technology to talk. Just be connected with the world around you. 

11. Turn off the electronics

Take a break from the screens. It is known that excessive usage of media can harm your mental and physical health. Social media can indeed be great and inspiring, but it also leads to exclusion. Being away from the screens and social media will improve your overall well-being. It enhances the quality of sleep. It helps you to improve productivity. By avoiding mobile phones and turning them off, you can spend some quality time with yourself and others. 

12. Meditate

Meditation is the most robust mental practice. It has the power to reset your happiness point and helps you to rewire the significant areas of your brain. Meditation reduces stress and calms your body. You will feel motivated and feel energized. Practicing meditation allows you to control your mind and emotions. 

13. Face your problems with confidence

Life is full of problems, and it is impossible to avoid them. All you have to do is change your mindset. Remember that everyone has problems; there is no reason to think it’s only for you. Think that you are mentally stronger than you are. Try to tackle the problems head-on. 

14. Be responsible for yourself

It is easier to blame and avoid responsibility at first. But you cannot change a situation if you are not responsible for that. Look and analyze the areas where you are entirely not satisfied. Be it finances, health, career, love, or social life. Decide to take responsibility for changing it instead of complaining. Be responsible for what is within your control. 

Happiness is not expensive, and it is attainable. It is just the things which you do every day. There is no excuse for not doing them. Go ahead. Try out these. Be a ray of sunshine in others’ life, chase your dream, take a break, develop meaningful relationships. Do not complain and leave your happiness in the hands of external circumstances and luck. Take charge and build happiness through your hearts. 

Develop these habits, and you will contribute to making yourself better along with the world.

Let happiness become you. Be the source of your and other’s happiness. 

Download the Joyscore app for more tips on happiness and well-being.

Have you ever been stuck on a remark you’d rather not say out loud or a thought that just won’t leave your mind? You feel you are stuck with those thoughts. Then this article is for you.

Negative thoughts harm your mental health and can even make you commit violent acts toward yourself or others. For this reason, you should always try to ignore negative thoughts whenever they arise. Instead, focus on what makes you feel good and gradually work your way down to the positive emotions that accompany them. You’ll find that you’re much more able to handle life as you’re meant to, and those negative feelings will eventually pass.

Negative thinking stops you from doing and achieving things. Being negative creates an atmosphere of fear which is not helpful when trying to achieve your goals.

You are often too entangled in your own stories to see what’s important. The antidote is to change the story you tell yourself to see more clearly the big picture – the whole picture.

Consider these three examples: Imagine if you could stop time whenever you felt like it. What would you do? How fast would you move? What would you become? This is what negative thought-stopping is all about. It is not a technique for tranquility; it is a technique for transforming stress and anxiety into motivation and clarity to make better decisions in life.

Here are a few ways to get rid of negative thoughts:

1. Change your posture –

Take a moment and observe your body language. Are you hunched? Do you frown? Are you sitting with a closed posture? All of these indicate negative thoughts and depict lower self-esteem. It leads to a lack of confidence. To overcome this, you have to smile more and correct your posture. You must open your posture to feel safe and positive.

2. Empty your mind –

When your mind is wandering, it is difficult to stay calm and controlled. It becomes difficult to control the negative thoughts. You can try meditation along with aerobic exercises to be in an alpha mind state. 
Alpha mind state is a situation where your mind is relaxed yet focussed. It makes a person calm, helps your mind to be free of thoughts. You will be able to observe new information and be open to new possibilities.

3. Spend time outdoors –

Our thoughts are a product of our environment. If negative people surround you, you will think negatively. Hence, you have to get rid of negative thoughts and people. Getting away from this negative environment can help a lot.

Try taking a short walk to a park or museum. Step away from the chaotic life and reconnect with nature. Change the focus of your thoughts into positive activities. Play with children, enjoy with family and friends or just dance to your till you are content.

4. Channel the positive energy –

When you channel positive energy, you become more powerful. The force of will that drives you to blissful awareness is overwhelming and can get very overwhelming very fast. At its core, channeling is about holding onto the good feelings that you have already experienced and recognizing that they are only possible because of what’s already been achieved in the present moment and by thinking positively.  

5. Stop negative thinking –

Negative thinking is a result of a bad perspective. Try avoiding them. For example, you may say, “I have problems, and I am facing difficult times,” but instead, you can think, “It is difficult as I am facing challenges, but I will find solutions.” It is just that you are changing your perspective into a positive one. This small change of focus can have a significant impact on your thinking patterns.

If you are having negative thoughts, just write them down. Throw away these pieces of paper. It can make a huge difference. When you write down these, you can clearly understand what you are saying and how you are feeling as a result. 

6. Learn to identify negative thoughts and stop constant negative thinking –

Try observing your thoughts and work on identifying the negativity. People often label themselves in different contexts. For example, some people may say,” I am bad at math” or “I am the worst dancer,” which will often feel negative about activities that involve the skill. Remind yourself that these are just thoughts, not facts, and stop thinking about them and worrying.

7. Exercises to stop thinking negatively –  

Try this exercise to get rid of negative thoughts and boost motivation in the process. You will be able to change your habit of negative thinking.

Just take a pen and paper and follow these steps:

1. Write down all your negative thoughts. Simply note down whatever comes to your mind.
2. Focus on what you have written. Analyze the underlying emotion that those negative thoughts are producing. 
3. Become aware of the thought, learn to stop and change that thought
4. Know the frequency of thinking. Ask yourself, how often you think negatively in a day and how has it affected you.
5. Now replace the negative thought switch the positive ones. It should be something realistic and believable. 

Do these exercises and give yourself a day challenge to get started. 

8. Smile more –

Make a habit of smiling throughout the day – even on the bus or in the office. The reason we smile is likely because we enjoy seeing another person smile. Research showed that smiling reduced stress for the person being smiled at and increased positive feelings toward the stranger. It also led to more positive memories being formed in the brain. Another research shows that looking at pictures of happy people can brighten your mood even more and help beat depression. 

Thus, it is possible to get rid of negative thoughts. It’s only a matter of using the proper techniques. Positive thoughts help us grow and expand our minds. Negative thoughts stand in our way, making us smaller and less capable of standing on our own two feet. They paralyze us into inaction or debilitating depression.

Suddenly, you wake up and realize you’ve neglected to take positive action to improve your life. It can be as simple as missing a step. Here’s how to defeat the seemingly unstoppable negative thought, once and for all. Never lose hope – there is always a way back, with practice. It’s just that most people don’t know where or how to begin. Before you give up, remember these three things:

• Understand your mind and thoughts
• Stop being blind to all the positive aspects of your life
• Be happy, be optimistic and love your life.

If you are looking for more tips on positivity and joyfulness, download our JoyScore app now!