Thankfulness
The holiday season is here and that usually means a time to gather with friends and family for celebrations. It is also the time where you start reflecting on everything that has happened and all that you have learned this year. We hear it all the time, the importance of being thankful or showing gratitude. For some people, these words elicit an eye roll or a blank stare at best.
In many ways, as a society we have lost touch with the true meaning of gratitude. Gratitude requires reflection and stillness, two things that can be difficult in our busy, overstimulated everyday lives. As a result, we are also missing out on the benefits of gratitude and, as it turns out, the effects can be important for our overall well-being.
Gratitude helps train your brain to notice and appreciate the little things in life and shifts your life experience tremendously. It can increase your happiness, well-being and satisfaction. And it can even improve overall health while decreasing anxiety, depression and anger.
There are several reasons why gratitude has a positive impact on mental health. Here are five:
Gratitude helps us feel valued and, in turn, improves self-esteem and self-value. The results are likely to include decreases in anxiety, depression, trauma and stress and increases in self-worth, motivation, productivity and achievement.
Gratitude minimizes negative habits, patterns of thinking and feelings. When focusing on the positive the results are improved joy, satisfaction, appreciation, kindness, generosity, empathy, positive expressions and behaviors. Gratitude, especially when it becomes a habit, helps minimize negative habits, negative patterns of thinking and negative feelings.
Gratitude helps us rekindle the wonder and awe of our inner child. Routine feelings of gratitude expressed for things like nature, love and connection can help us rekindle our sense of happiness.
Gratitude helps us feel inspired. Feeling inspired often can motivate us to learn, grow, change, improve or adapt to difficult challenges and circumstances. Gratitude has the ability to promote positive behaviors and adaptations which are key parts to leading a successful life rich with well-being.
Gratitude prevents worry and frustration. By allowing us to focus on what is good in the present, gratitude helps to lessen concerns about the future. Stress and frustration can cause feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression and if applied and worked on, gratitude can help mitigate such feelings.
Choosing gratitude does not mean ignoring all the negatives in your life. It is not blind optimism in the face of difficulties or challenges. There is no denying the struggles that everyone is dealing with, but this is all the more reason to search for the highs in the many lows. Finding thankfulness for the good things in your life can provide a counterbalance. You can acknowledge the hard times while also embracing hope at the same time. If you only focus on the obstacles, it is harder to find a reason to be thankful which, in turn, impacts your mental health—from your mood to your relationships with others to your overall outlook on the world.
Here are today’s Wellness Wednesday Program reading resources:
“How does a focus on gratitude impact mental health?,” NAMI California
“How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain,” Joshua Brown, PhD. and Joel Wong, PhD., Greater Good Science Center Berkeley, June 6, 2017
“Gratitude - A Mental Health Game Changer,” Ashley J. Smith, PhD, ADAA Anxiety & Depression Institute of America, June 8, 2021
“7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude,” Amy Morin, Reviewed by Ekua Hagan, Psychology Today, April 3, 2015
