What if we told you that there was a way to marry every millennial’s two favorite things in the world? No no, we aren’t talking about furry puppalattes… We’re talking about instant gratification and authentic happiness.
Wait a second, isn’t authentic happiness supposed to be this never ending lifelong quest? Isn’t authentic happiness only achievable through hours of meditation and spirit journeys to far off countries? Whatever your definition of “authentic happiness” is we are here to tell you that while our definitions of what this looks like may be different, the tactic to get those dopamine filled hits of happiness instantly- that’s something we all have in common.
So what magic drug are we talking about? What could possibly bring about true happiness in the snap of a finger? Prepare yourself…
Gratitude
We get it, this probably seems cliche, in the age of “Grateful, thankful, blessed” T-Shirts it seems like gratitude is more of a fluffy salve than a serious tool for bettering your life. We are here to take the G word off the T-Shirt and instead help you apply it right to your life, you’ll be amazed at how instantly it can shift your mood, thinking and perspective.
In this article from Psychology Today, they dive deep into the brain science behind gratitude, saying “The feelings of gratitude directly activate brain regions associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine feels good to get, which is why it’s generally considered the “reward” neurotransmitter. Gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle.”
Basically, it’s the easiest, fastest FREE way to get happiness and it’s extremely constructive for your life. So what does this mean, do you have to keep a gratitude journal every day for the rest of your life? Well, maybe, if that’s your speed, but maybe you’re like us, on board for the attitude of gratitude but not on board for a bunch of extra work, if that sounds good, then we have the exercise for you.
As you are going through your day and you notice something that delights you, it could be big or small, notice that feeling and hold it for just 17 seconds. This may seem ridiculous, but staying in that place of gratitude for a little longer than is comfortable, but not long enough to feel like a chore is a secret ingredient to feeling instantly better and happier and being more productive and willing to take action on things that matter.
The word gratification comes from its latin counterpart, gratificari meaning “give or do as a favor.” so do yourself a favor and get grateful, you’ll be astounded at the fast improvement it can bring to the quality of your life.
