In the hustle and bustle of our lives, we often forget to take a few minutes to realize how blessed we are. Our hectic schedules drive us to work, cook, clean, run errands, and more.

With so much to do in the days, weeks, and months that go by, it's easy to forget to pause and reflect on all you have and be grateful.

Those who take time to write down things they feel grateful for each evening in a journal consistently report lots of health and mental benefits.

Pausing to reflect on your blessings will help relieve any negative emotions that you might be harboring, such as anxiety or depression.

Five minutes of writing down five things you're grateful for each day may be just what you need to feel calmer and more centered. But that's just scratching the surface.

1. Increased positivity. Your journal gives you a chance to reflect on everything you're grateful for in life. Filling it each day with notes of things you're thankful for can help you feel less stressed throughout the day.

● And when you focus on the positive things going on in your life, you naturally attract positivity. Writing down things you feel grateful for also promotes gratitude in yourself and those around you.

● Positive things may float around in your subconscious. But it is when you write them down that it becomes more real.

2. Better sleep. Taking less than 20 minutes before bedtime to put down your grateful thoughts can help you sleep better, both tonight and on future nights.

● Research suggests that writing down what you're thankful for regularly can increase your serotonin levels, which control your nervous system and affect sleep.

● When you strive to entertain positive thoughts throughout the day -- and then spend time before bed writing down the things that you're grateful for -- you don't feel as anxious or worried.

3. You feel happier.     Identifying the things that you're grateful for means you acknowledge the good things in your life. When you write them down, you allow yourself to relish the feelings of gratitude you're experiencing.

● A happier perspective affects your life, causing you to build stronger relationships and feel more comfortable and healthier. And studies indicate that people who keep a gratitude journal tend to be more optimistic.

● They also feel much better and are more content with their lives than those who don't.

4. It's an excellent way to reduce stress levels. Grateful people are happier people. And more optimistic people tend to take care of themselves better than those who aren't thankful for their existence.

● They can also deal with stress better and in a healthy manner. Scientists have discovered that a person who focuses on satisfaction and contentment experiences his body countering stress almost automatically.

● And when you no longer feel stressed, you're more grounded and can face life head-on, no matter what it throws at you.

5. Improved self-esteem.     Instead of feeling sorry for yourself or focusing on the negative aspects of your life, focus on your blessings and rejoice in the good things that have happened.

● When you can see and appreciate the good things in your life, you develop an attitude of gratitude. Your self-esteem improves, and so does your outlook on life in general.

● In 2014, researchers published a study on gratitude. They discovered that grateful athletes trusted their teammates more. It turns out that their enhanced self-belief from feelings of gratitude caused them to trust their teammates.

And so, I challenge you to continue to take five minutes each evening to write down at least FIVE things that make you feel grateful. You may not realize it, but your life will become a lot more joyful and even healthier after just a few weeks.

And if that doesn't work out for you, try it a few more weeks. You will transform your life.

Stay Strong.

Ilke