With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I have been thinking about gratitude. It seems that everyone talks about gratitude these days and how feeling gratitude can make you happier. But is that really true? I often listen to the podcast, Science Vs and recently came across an episode about self-care and whether or not we can "hack" our mood. I, like the host of the podcast, tend to be a little skeptical by nature but I bookmarked the episode and eventually decided to give it a listen. The first part of the episode discussed "cold plunging," the idea that jumping into a cold shower or ice bath for a few moments can have positive effects on mental and physical health. The science there is mixed. For some people it can be temporarily beneficial. For others it can be very uncomfortable and pose a few health risks.
The second part of the podcast was about gratitude journaling - taking time to focus on the things for which you are thankful. Interestingly, the research here was compelling and showed short and longer term benefits. And there are no health risks!
What is gratitude anyway? According to the Oxford dictionary, gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
That sounds nice, and also pretty simple. But, can it really change how we feel? And if we are expressing gratitude to make ourselves feel a certain way, is that genuine gratitude? And does that matter?
As it turns out, taking the time to express gratitude can make a positive difference in short-term mood as well as longer-term psychological health by re-wiring our neural pathways. And while it might feel inauthentic at first, especially if you are in the habit of negative thinking, feeling gratitude is a behavior that can be practiced until it becomes a habit. The important thing is to take a moment to feel the gratitude fully, rather than passively expressing it. Here are some ideas on how to practice gratitude, for just two minutes a day:
- Start a daily practice of writing down things for which you are grateful - you can do this in a journal, or the notes app on your phone, or post-it notes that you place on your desk, on the bathroom mirror or in a gratitude jar. It doesn't matter where you write it- just that you take the time to have the thought and write it down. And it doesn't have to be a "big" thing - it can be gratitude for a warm shower, a freshly sharpened pencil, a cuddly moment with your pet or the first breath of fresh air in the morning when you step outside.
- Write a thank you note- you don't even have to send it (though you might decide to). This idea is to express the thanks so that you become consious of and feel the gratitude toward another person. This can be a note to a friend, a teacher, your favorite musical artist, the friendly grocery store worker who helped bag your groceries, or the person who let you merge on the freeway.
- If you are religiously or spiritually inclined, you can pray and thank god for the things for which you are grateful. This practice is engrained in many religions- turns out they were on to something.
