Gratitude

Is gratitude better for you than eating a salad?

“Gratitude is the gateway to a positive life.” -A.D. Posey 

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” -Tony Robbins 

“It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.” -David Steindl-Rast 

“Gratitude makes what we have into enough.” -Aesop 

List of benefits found from various studies: 

● Improves happiness more than many other mental health interventions 

● Improves sleep 

● Improves interpersonal relationships 

● Increases resilience 

● Increases self-esteem 

● Increases happiness 

● Helps us regulate emotions 

● Helps us to feel more hopeful 

● Helps us to be more giving 

● Can help increase physical health and immune system functioning So, maybe, yes. 

● One study even found that those that people who practiced gratitude exercised more! Up to 90 more minutes a week! 

I like to think of our attitude as… 

It’s kind of the same in life. There can be joyful people in miserable circumstances and unhappy people in quite privileged circumstances. The joyful often are focused on and thankful for the good that they can find and for the more negative, it's often easier for them to see the parts of their life that are bad. Every person has a mixture of good and bad things to notice in every moment we are alive. We can actually train our brains to focus on the good things, becoming naturally more positive people with time, effort, and intention (see neuroplasticity link on how we can rewire our brains). What part of the “picture” of your life is easiest to focus on and see? 

How to do it? 

Well, like any change we aspire to make in our brains, it takes time and effort. Gratitude certainly has in-the-moment benefits when we practice it, but the more we develop a mindset that sees the things to be thankful woven into the fabric of daily life, the more benefits we can accrue. The following are some ways to practice it.

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Gratitude practices: 

● Write a letter to someone that has had a positive impact on you to thank them. You don’t necessarily need to send it, but bonus points if you do and you deliver it in-person. 

● Write down three things that you’re thankful for every day. Try to think outside the box and come up with new ones: the way the sun feels on your skin, the kindness in your friends eyes, the ability to taste... 

● Savor the moment. Think of something you enjoy doing: making coffee, taking a shower, taking a walk, talking to a friend- whatever! And then, every day, spend time really being mindful of, soaking up, and enjoying doing the thing. Use your five senses to be in the moment and not let other thoughts distract from the good of the moment. 

● Find a gratitude partner and text or tell that person things you're thankful for every day and them to you.