The Healing Power of Gratitude
By Susan Tonymon, MSW, LCSW
Most of us will agree that 2020 has been a tough year to navigate physically and emotionally. Now, anticipating the holiday season upon us and winter just around the corner, days can feel especially overwhelming for some folks. Someone recently said, “I’m so anxious about the holidays. My mind is like a backpack full of rocks, filled with so many worries I lug around every day.” The holidays are loaded with mixed feelings and powerful meanings. It can mean great joy for some, tremendous stress, conflict, loss or onset of winter “blues” for others. This year in particular, holiday traditions will be celebrated differently and relationships with family, friends may become even more complicated and intense. What do we do in anticipation of what’s ahead in order to reduce feelings of overwhelm? How do we not only survive, but remain centered, perhaps even thrive during our most challenging times? One powerful action we can take is the practice of gratitude.
When feeling at rock bottom with anxiety, depression, life struggles or excruciating pain on a daily basis, it may seem strange to think about starting a gratitude practice. But research shows that gratitude can improve both mental and physical health. In fact, the holidays can be the perfect time when we deeply need to focus on something beyond the pain and suffering that feels as if it takes over our entire world. A growing body of research confirms that cultivating gratitude, even when times are tough, creates positive benefits. [Reference] What are the main ingredients of gratitude? It includes noticing the positive, appreciating it and expressing gratitude regarding it.
Benefits of gratitude confirmed in research studies:
Greater life satisfaction
Lower levels of stress
Lower levels of depression and anxiety
Improved sleep
Higher self-esteem
Better self-care choices
A lasting effect on the brain
Are you open to explore how gratitude may benefit you in these challenging times? Here are some practical steps to making a gratitude practice part of your daily self-care routine:
Gratitude List (3 Good Things): Simply listing 3 things for which you feel grateful every day. Not only can this boost mood and positivity immediately, but it has long lasting benefits.
Gratitude “GLAD” Journal: This expands on the list, where you reflect more deeply on the feeling of gratitude and what inspired it. It’s is a handy acronym that stands for “Gratitude, Learning, Achievement and Delight”
G: List 1 thing you are grateful for today
L: List 1 thing you learned today
A: List 1 thing you accomplished/achieved today
D: List 1 thing that delighted you today
Tips: For both of these practices, the act of writing is more powerful than saying it in your head. Also, the more specific the better. Choose different things every day. This trains our minds to start looking for the positives in life. The more we look for them, the more we notice them.
The Unexpected Thank You: Expressing your gratitude to someone else. We often underestimate how much this impacts someone. It’s an opportunity to give a happiness boost to both yourself and the other person. And research shows this is one of the strongest gratitude practices.
Group Gratitude: You can also do the 3 Good Things exercise with family or friends. When others share what they’re grateful for, it can remind us of positives in our own lives we might have overlooked. (Children are especially good at noticing small, positive things.)
While keeping a gratitude journal or other gratitude practice may not completely alleviate all anxiety, depression or pain, it can reduce our suffering, because it helps us remember there are still good things in our lives. We also need to understand there might be barriers to gratitude and simply telling someone to feel grateful might make some people feel worse instead of better. [Reference] If you are feeling like you need a little extra support, feeling of community and accountability over the holidays, we welcome you to reach out to us at Day By Day Center for Health and Healing.