Did you know that telling people ‘I appreciate you’ can help you live a happier life, be more financially secure, and create more meaningful business and personal relationships? Telling someone, ‘I appreciate you,’ means that you are thankful for the individual, the things they do for you, or how they make you feel.
However, this simple act of gratitude is more important to one sex. Read this guide to learn whether feeling appreciated is more important to men or women, the benefits of this simple act of gratitude, tips for feeling more thankful, and other valuable information.
What Does ‘I Appreciate You’ Mean?
When you tell someone ‘I appreciate you,’ it tells them you are thankful for the things they do or their presence in your life. It is a kind sentiment, and while it may seem like a small gesture, it is very powerful.
Why Should You Say ‘I Appreciate You’ Constantly?
There are numerous benefits when you adopt a gratitude mindset. According to USC Marshall School of Business gratitude expert Glenn Fox, being appreciative can benefit you by:
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Helping you get better sleep
- Reducing physical pain
- Lowering inflammation
Telling people, ‘I appreciate you’ constantly helps you to adopt a gratitude mindset which helps you build stronger relationships, improves mental health, and helps you stay positive when you encounter challenges.
Improved Physical
Your physical health improves when you are thankful. When you express appreciation, your brain produces anti-stress hormones like serotonin and dopamine and reduces inflammatory stress hormones like cortisol. High cortisol levels create physical pain in your body through inflammation.
Better Mental Heath
The same stress hormones responsible for causing inflammation and pain also make it harder to sleep and create feelings of anxiety. So, lowering them and increasing dopamine and serotonin improves your mood and helps to combat depression.
When you feel good, you can take better care of yourself, which improves your physical and mental health.
Stronger Resilience and Drive
When you are thankful for what you have, you work harder to keep it. If you hate your life, you are unmotivated and may give up during challenging situations more quickly.
Perhaps you have heard people say, ‘you have to work for what you have to appreciate it.’ They mean that when people do not appreciate something, they often do not take care of it and end up losing it.
When you appreciate the life you have, economic downturns and financial losses are easier to endure, and you are encouraged to work hard to keep what you have.
Better Relationships
Telling people that you appreciate them can help you improve business and personal relationships. When people feel appreciated, it motivates them to work through challenging times with you. A partner who feels like you take them for granted is less likely to stick by you when you face things like
More Opportunities
Showing appreciation to others can open doors for you. For example, sending a thank you note to someone after they interview you can go a long way in helping you secure a new job. Customers want to work with people who are appreciative of their business, and employers promote workers who appreciate their job.
Better Employee Performance
Employees are more productive and less absent from work in companies that have a grateful culture. Telling a co-worker or employee, ‘I appreciate you’ makes them feel good. It also helps to create that culture among your colleagues.
In companies where the employees and managers show appreciation for each other, there are fewer incidents of burnout. People are happier to come to work and do a better job when they are there.
Reduced Desire for Instant Gratification
Expressing thankfulness helps you become more content with where you are, which is a formula for winning. So, you have less desire for instant gratification. Furthermore, if you are pleased with your partner and life, you are more likely to carefully manage your retirement accounts and financial responsibilities because you do not want to lose what you have.
What is a Gratitude Mindset?
A gratitude mindset is when you acknowledge everything you can be thankful for in life. Adopting this mindset is simple; however, it can also be challenging for people looking at everything wrong with their life.
How Can You Be More Appreciative?
Being appreciative when dealing with difficult people or situations can be challenging. However, there are plenty of small acts that help you become more appreciative.
1. Find Little Things to Appreciate
If you do not have anything significant to be thankful for, you can express appreciation for the smallest things to start developing a gratitude mindset. Here are some small things you can be thankful for:
- A beautiful flower
- The sunset or sunrise
- Good weather
- Having a clean home
2. Stop Focusing on What is Wrong
Do not focus on the things that are going wrong in your life. While it is important to acknowledge things you need to work on, it is best not to fixate on issues unless you are working on a solution.
3. Write Thank You Notes
Writing thank-you notes when someone gives you something or does something for you, writing a thank you note is always a good idea. Even a simple thank you helps to create feelings of gratitude.
4. Keep a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is an excellent way to spend time each day counting your blessings. Just pick a time each day to write down a few things you are thankful for that happened during the day.
5. Do a Thank You Challenge
A thank-you challenge is another way to adopt a more appreciative mindset. You decide on how long you want to do the challenge. Then, each day, you thank someone in your life. Here are a few ideas of things that you can thank people for:
- Cooking dinner
- Being a good friend
- Giving you an opportunity
- Providing excellent customer service
- Listening when you needed to vent
- Making you laugh
- Sharing their point of view with you
6. Write a List of Things You Appreciate
Writing about things you appreciate in your life or about a person is very beneficial. When you look at all the things you appreciate about someone, you are less likely to be irritated by the little things they do that annoy you.
7. Look for the Positive Side of Negative Situations
Try looking for the positive side of negative situations. It is fine to acknowledge that a situation is not ideal. However, it is a good habit to try to find the good in things even when they are not great.
How Does Being Appreciative Help Your Finances?
Telling other people you appreciate them helps you be more thankful for the things you have. Being grateful for what you have helps to put things into perspective so you can delay gratification, which is more beneficial in the long term. You are internally happy and do not need to waste money buying things to feel satisfied.
Furthermore, when you are appreciative of your money, you want to maintain the same lifestyle and are more likely to save money and pay closer attention to your retirement accounts.
Final Thoughts on Saying ‘I Appreciate You’
Saying ‘I appreciate you’ is an easy way to improve your life in many ways. It helps you build stronger personal and professional relationships, and it helps to combat depression.
Try the tips in this guide if you are not accustomed to a gratitude mindset. They will help you change your perspective so you can better recognize all of the blessings you have in your life.
