Some people ignore the aspects that make them better off than others recently, and they are burdened with worries for more than one reason, most notably working more hours than ever before, increasing family obligations, and tense situations at an accelerated pace in general.
According to the Your Tango website, gratitude is one of the easiest and most effective practices to relieve depression, anxiety, and stress, but it is also easy for some people to overlook it. But we must overcome the negativity and start looking at the aspects of blessings that many people enjoy, as follows:
1- You have a roof to protect you
If a person has a place to call home and a space to gather with their community, they have a foundation to grow, recover, and maintain their health.
According to UN statistics, more than 1.6 billion people in the world live in unstable, unsafe or poor housing conditions, with nearly 15 million people forcibly evicted every year. The statistic reminds us of this simple blessing.
2- You have clean water
According to World Health Organization statistics for the year 2025, a quarter of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water. This equates to 2.1 billion people around the world who struggle to find safe drinking water or drink directly from untreated surface water sources.
Although this problem may seem limited to developing countries, for example, about 2.2 million people in the United States do not have running water or basic plumbing in their homes. Many people enjoy basic things like clean water every day and forget to think about that.
3- You have a good heart
Of course, life is more than just survival. Kindness, compassion, and happiness make the human experience unique. People cherish interaction, love, and relationships with others, and crave connection. This kindness and pure social interaction has been shown to help people feel better and, in turn, build more fulfilling lives.
4- Your positive side as a human being
If a person is able to self-reflect, he is ahead of many others. Self-reflection is the process of honestly looking at oneself, interactions, feelings, and choices, and determining whether these are helpful or harmful to oneself, others, and one’s goals. If a person is able to self-reflect, he is actually better off than many.
5- I ate nutritious food today
Millions, if not billions, of people around the world suffer from food insecurity, including the United States and Canada. Whether due to difficulty accessing healthy and safe foods, or simply financial barriers, many still struggle to feed themselves and their children.
Feeling grateful for the availability of healthy, safe and nutritious food is not the only criterion for measuring “success” in life. Access to shelter, food and water must be a universally recognized basic necessity, which humanity cannot deny to anyone.
6- There is someone who cares about you
When a person is part of something, whether it is a community or a friendship, they learn about themselves more. Not only does support and communication improve his mental health (and may even extend his life without chronic illnesses), it also allows him the possibility of greater satisfaction.
7- You have clean clothes
Laundry, clean clothes, and access to washing machines are the little pleasures in life that many take for granted. With clean clothes, a person will be surprised by the number of opportunities they will have, such as a great job opportunity or a nice social interaction with a stranger.
8- You can access nature
Even if a person lives in a big city, having access to a nearby public park, lake, or beach is a valuable treasure. Research indicates that spending at least two hours a week in nature has health benefits, both physical and psychological. According to the Colcom Foundation, there is a global problem of nature deprivation, even in the United States, for example, where it is estimated that 100 million people cannot access nature within a 10-minute walk.
9- You have hope
Hope is the most powerful thing in the world. It is not something that can be bought or earned, but something that can be shared with others. Hope enables one to imagine a better future, so that a person does not feel trapped when something bad happens. Despair is also one of the most prominent features of clinical depression. Fortunately, hope can be cultivated (even if it requires starting with support from others, including professionals).
10- You are breathing
Finally, every human being has something to be thankful for. If he is alive and breathing, he has been given a blessing. He has the opportunity to grow and recover, to help himself and help others. So he should not give up on himself and his future. He does not let the annoyance, pressure, and anxiety control him.
