How Mindful Gratitude Can Improve Your Financial and Mental Wellbeing

The Negative Impact of Focusing on What You Don’t Have

It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of wanting more and more, always looking at what we don’t have instead of what we do have. We compare ourselves to others, thinking that if only we had their car, their house, or their salary, we would be happy.  We feel amped up, jumpy, anxious, unable to settle and enjoy things. Perhaps a negative conversation is running around your head on an endless loop, wishing & hoping that something wonderful like a windfall will happen and we’ll be able to buy all the ‘stuff’ we ever wanted. 
It may sound pretty good except that happiness doesn’t come from ‘stuff’ nor should you deny yourself or your loved ones happiness until someday when you have all the ‘stuff’. 
You may say, but how could i possibly be happy if I am financially stressed and lacking? Let me ask you to consider this, Is the financial stress causing you unhappiness or are your thoughts about what you believe you SHOULD have causing you unhappiness? 

The Financial Impact of Wanting More

When we focus on what we don’t have, we can often find ourselves spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need to fill a void and quench an unease. We may take on credit card debt or even loans to try and keep ahead of our perceived “lack.” This is a dangerous cycle to get trapped in and a challenging one to breakfree from. At the end of the day you may experience the temporary excitement of new things that curbed the feelings of inadequacy and a lack of self-worth but eventually, it catches up with you and magnifies the problem. 

You end up kicking yourself for not taking control of your finances and making smart money decisions and little by little it erodes your self-esteem and ability to trust yourself.

The Mental Impact of Wanting More

The constant focus on what we don’t have can also have a negative impact on our mental wellbeing. We may find ourselves feeling depressed, anxious, or even resentful of others who seem to have more than we do. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a sense of hopelessness, making it difficult to achieve our goals and live a fulfilling life.

Furthermore, when we’re always looking at what we don’t have, we may find ourselves missing out on the precious present moment. The moments that truly count. None of us know what tomorrow will bring or how long we have. We hear people saying ‘where did the time go?’ or “I blinked and they (the children) were grown up, How did that happen?” 
Not being present now can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness, which often has a negative affect on our overall mental wellbeing.

The Solution: Mindful Gratitude

The solution is to shift our focus on to what we do have. We do have food, a roof over our head, and somewhere warm to sleep (or whatever your list may be) By practicing mindfulness and gratitude, we can learn to appreciate the things we already have and find contentment in the present moment. This can help us to make better financial decisions, improve our mental well-being, increase our self confidence and ultimately lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

If like many other people I have worked with you are having trouble finding things to be grateful for, email me and I’ll send you a list I created for my Mind Matters Alliance group.