This week, gratitude was really on my mind. First, I came across a quote on Instagram that made me think about gratitude from a fresh perspective. “Gratitude turns what you have into enough.” Then another friend posted about Yale’s extremely popular happiness class. And again, the focus was gratitude. 

Call it coincidence or the universe trying to tell me something, but I paid attention. My life has been busier lately and I hadn’t spent as much time as I should on being thankful for the people and things in my life. With so many demands from kids, school, relationships, and responsibilities, it’s hard to find 5 minutes to breathe let alone reflect. 

But even just 5 minutes a day spent writing down your gratitude, or even just a list of things you’re thankful for, can have a huge impact on your life. Research has shown that being grateful improves your overall well-being from sleeping better, to less fatigue, and lowering stress hormones like cortisol in your body. 

Your 5 minute a day habit can even become addicting since feeling grateful and giving thanks causes dopamine to flood your brain. Dopamine is the chemical that gives you a natural high, the same feeling of a "runner's high" after a tough workout.

Even though my reminder about gratitude came from Instagram, I recommend swapping 5 minutes of scrolling for 5 minutes of reflecting on all the reasons you have to be thankful this week. You won’t regret it. 

Article by: Alejandra Hill