The Season of Gratitude...All Year!
- Lori Bailey
- Nov 25, 2023
- 3 min read
At this time of year, our thoughts often turn to the holidays and celebrations with family and friends. We find ourselves reminiscing about the past year and enjoying the love in our lives. While some feel sadness and anxiety, for many this time of year brings a sense of gratitude. The power of gratitude to increase happiness and feelings of well-being cannot be understated. Why not experience that feeling all year?
Gratitude can be defined as the mindful appreciation of benefits received that can be attributed to the kindness of other people including love, friendship, and more material things. Researchers know that practicing gratitude daily has tremendous benefits for our mental and physical health. You see, when we feel gratitude, our brain is flooded with Dopamine, a potent chemical in our brains that activates our reward centers resulting in improved mood and mental well-being. In time, areas of our brain are literally changed when viewed on MRI. The fear centers become less reactive. Our thoughts tend to be more biased toward finding the positive in our days.
The physical benefits of practicing gratitude include better immune function, reduced inflammation throughout the body, decreased blood pressure, increased motivation, and improved length and quality of sleep. Grateful people tend to exercise more and have better self-care practices. In short, the practice of gratitude improves physical health by potentially reducing some of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Gratitude benefits our psychological well-being, too. Regular gratitude practice increases positive emotions, increased feelings of joy and pleasure, increased optimism, and improved happiness. Who would not want more of these! Gratitude improves aggressive behaviors and increases compassion and empathy. Over time, its practice can reduce thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Gratitude can also reduce depression and the negative cognitions associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gratitude also helps us in our social endeavors. We become more helpful, generous, and compassionate. Forgiveness comes easier and seeking out social opportunities becomes more likely. In fact, more gratitude leads to less loneliness.
So, how do we build our gratitude practice so that we can reap the benefits? Here are some strategies that can be used.
1. Journaling: Write about the things for which you are grateful. Look for those moments in your day or week when there is a glimmer of joy, love, friendship, or whatever makes you feel thankful.
2. Grateful thoughts: Spend time thinking about someone who makes you grateful. Be specific about what it is they do that makes you thankful and feel that again as you think of them.
3. Write a letter: You’ve thought about someone for whom you are grateful. Take the time to write them a letter with the specifics about what they have done to make you feel this way.
4. Count blessings: At the end of each day, find at least two things that made you grateful. There will be days when it is harder than others. Sometimes, it is just that you have a warm bed and a toothbrush. Even the smallest things can build the skill.
5. Meditate on gratitude: When you experience something that makes you grateful during the day, take a moment and be present for it. Consider all that you are feeling. Savor it for a few moments.
6. Pray about it: If you are religious, pray on your gratitude. Express it in your prayers.
With time, you will notice the positive things more readily in your lives. Your mental and physical health, happiness, and well-being will improve. That would make anyone more grateful!
References
BOYES, K. T. (2021). The Last Word: The Art and Science of Gratitude: Increasing Happiness and Wellbeing One Positive Thought at a Time. Teachers Matter, 49, 66–67.
Hazlett, L. I., Moieni, M., Irwin, M. R., Haltom, K. E. B., Jevtic, I., Meyer, M. L., Breen, E. C., Cole, S. W., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2021). Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 95, 444–453. https://doi-org.links.franklin.edu/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.019
Van Dusen, J. P., Tiamiyu, M. F., Kashdan, T. B., & Elhai, J. D. (2015). Gratitude, depression and PTSD: Assessment of structural relationships. Psychiatry Research, 230(3), 867–870. https://doi-org.links.franklin.edu/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.11.036
Greaaaat!