Greater satisfaction through gratitude

We've been programmed by evolution to be more sensitive to bad experiences and to remember them better. It was vital for our ancestors to recognise and remember potentially negative and dangerous situations, such as a predator stalking them, whereas non-threatening and pleasant experiences demanded less attention because they weren't a matter of life or death. That's why negative experiences still have a far greater impact on us, even today. But it's important to consciously acknowledge good experiences and emotions too, so that you can reduce stress. Through regular practice, it's possible to create more space for positive emotions and increase your sense of wellbeing.

There is a very simple exercise you can do to bring more gratitude into your everyday life. The idea of a gratitude diary is to consciously reflect on positive moments and "train" the brain to intentionally register positive impressions more effectively in future.

How can we practise gratitude?

1. Set a fixed time. The easiest way to make practising gratitude part of your daily routine is to pick a specific time of day to do it. This could be when you wake up in the morning, in the evening before going to sleep or when you have a quiet moment in your day.