3.2 An attitude of gratitude

Some people find that being grateful comes more naturally to them and have what is known as an ‘attitude of gratitude’. These people see life as a gift and perhaps retain a sense of perspective when experiencing tough times, reminding themselves that other people may be in a worse situation to them to help them to appreciate what they have.

Sometimes a time of high stress in life, such as a serious illness, can also help you to feel more gratitude– when you see the good in others and are appreciative of their care.

A survey conducted on 511 adults during the pandemic found that despite all of the challenges individuals were facing, people still reported strong feelings of gratitude and that they expected their gratitude to grow in the future.

It can sometimes feel particularly challenging to feel gratitude. If you feel indebted to someone this can naturally prevent feelings of gratitude. You may also feel that you have been a victim of some extremely hard experiences in life that were no fault of your own.

In this situation it can be a challenge to shift your emotions from being a victim to a survivor, who can be appreciative of the more positive aspects of our lives.