“What consumes your mind controls your life.” When you practice gratitude, you train your brain to be more open to experiencing gratitude and a more positive outlook in your life.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
“What consumes your mind controls your life.” So many times people choose to focus on the negatives or the things, situations, or experiences they cannot control, instead of choosing to focus on the positives, those things, situations, or experiences they can control or at least control aspects of. During this time of year, it can be easier for people to reflect on those things they are grateful for. However, we know there is benefit in practicing gratitude daily. Extensive research has proven that individuals who practice gratitude are happier people, they find the joy in both the “small and large” things in life and are overall more appreciative and satisfied.
When you practice gratitude, you train your brain to be more open to experiencing gratitude and a more positive outlook in your life. Not only do grateful people seem to engage in helpful habits when they are faced with stress, but research suggests that gratitude also changes our experience of negative emotions. Practicing gratitude not only enhances one’s mental health but also improves one’s physical health.
Benefits of Gratitude:
There are many positive and healthy benefits of practicing gratitude. Dr. Emmons states how and why gratitude is essential, “In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope” (dailygood.org). The following benefits of practicing gratitude are outlined by both Dr. Robert Emmons, Ph.D. and Dr. Summer Allen, Ph.D. (dailygood.org, 2011 and ggsc.berkeley.edu, 2018):
- increased happiness and positive mood
- more satisfaction with life
- less materialistic
- less likely to experience burnout, i.e. professionally and personally
- enhanced mental and physical health
- decreased stress
- stronger immune system, lower blood pressure
- improved sleep, less fatigue
- lower levels of cellular inflammation
- more forgiving
- greater resiliency
- less lonely, isolated, and withdrawn
- encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
10 Practical Ways to Practice Gratitude:
- Keep a Gratitude Journal; write daily entries on things, people, opportunities, accomplishments you are thankful for;
- Keep a Joy or Gratitude Jar; write down things, people, experiences you are grateful for and/or that bring you joy;
- Enhance your spiritual walk. Utilize prayer daily. Praying helps us focus on what we are thankful for. Prayer reminds us that we are never alone, GOD is always present, he is our greatest Comforter and Healer;
- Write and send others’ notes, letters, emails, cards expressing your feelings of gratitude for them;
- Tell others thank you and show appreciation for what others do for you. By offering gratitude to others helps others feel more positive and boosts your own mood that you have offered this gift of gratitude to someone else;
- Every morning and every evening state 3 positives (things you are grateful for, things that are positive in your life, things that are positive about you). By focusing on the positives, we are reframing those negative cognitions to positive cognitions;
- Practice meditation on gratitude. Focus on being in the present. Ground yourself and focus on the here and now, focus on the positives, and focus on what you are grateful for. Meditation helps individuals focus on what they can control and let go what they cannot control; helps bring peace and order;
- Practice the “Count your Blessings” exercise; every day write down at least 1 blessing you are thankful for. Look back on all the blessings you have listed. You can create a blessings calendar and write down one blessing every day of the year. At the end of the year, you have 365 blessings you can go back and review;
- Actions lead to gratitude. We can choose to focus on the negatives, or we can choose to focus on the positives. When we choose to practice gratitude, our actions are more positive, we practice more patience, humility, and thankfulness; and
- Practice saying thank you in a meaningful way to not only others but to yourself. It is not only important to say thank you, but it is more important to articulate why you are thankful and appreciative. It is important to not only build others’ up, but also affirm ourselves. We should be our “greatest cheerleader,” not in a selfish manner but by utilizing self-care.
By simply practicing gratitude we can reframe our negative cognitions to positive cognitions, rewiring our brain from thinking negative to positive. Practicing gratitude does not minimize trauma, grief, loss, or the negative events a person or their family may have faced and/or are presently facing, but it does allow us to focus and perceive the negative event differently; it allows us to create more control and formulate positive solutions. So today, take a moment, and think, WHAT AM I GRATEFUL FOR?
Written by Susan Bradshaw, LMFT, TF-CBT & EMDR-T and Leah McMillan, DPA, LMFT, EMDR-T, CFRC
(Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists at EnSpire Counseling & Wellness, LLC)
Resources:
Allen, Summer, Ph.D. (2018). The Science of Gratitude. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, ggsc.berkeley.edu.
Emmons, Robert A, Ph.D. (2011). Why Gratitude is Good. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, dailygood.org.