Do you ever feel trapped? Left feeling like what you have isn’t enough? Many of us find ourselves wanting more for ourselves, families, and relationships. Sometimes we may find ourselves rushing off to buy the next new thing, pushing ourselves for the next level of our careers, or striving for the perfect partner. In hindsight nothing stays shiny forever, no job is perfect, and no relationship comes without its challenges. Life is always messy, and some of the time we end up right back where we started. Wanting more.
A way out of this trap is, drum roll please... Gratitude. According to the American Psychological Association (2018), gratitude “is a feeling of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift or a fortunate happenstance.”
Be grateful. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the truth is that it can be difficult at times, since it is so easy for us to focus on the negatives in life. What gratitude can do is help us see the positives in life, remind us what is important, to live in the present, reduce negative self-talk, give us a mood boost, and can even help strengthen our relationships.
Gratitude has been found to be beneficially associated with social, emotional, and psychological well being (Jans-Been et al., 2020).
What are some ways to implement the practice of gratitude in your daily routine?
Gratitude journal. Write down those moments that caused a smile to come across your face. What made you feel happy? That could be a good place to start.
Gratitude Meditation. Take time out of your day–this could be even 5 minutes–to reflect on the good moments that happened throughout your day and/or things you appreciate in your life.
Three good things. Recite three positive things that happened today. These could be things that made you smile, feel warmth, or even just noticing the wonderful things you have.
Visual gratitude signs. Place signs up in your home to remind yourself what’s important or even write a positive phrase on a sticky note and leave it on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator. These examples will act as a gentle prompt to remember to appreciate the positive and good things happening in your day to day life.
Say it out loud. Thank someone for the help they have given or just being present with you can be a way to practice gratitude. Not only are we acknowledging the gratitude we feel, but letting others know how grateful we are for them.
Exercising gratitude is not just about happiness and positivity and it does not require you to ignore the negative. In fact, gratitude helps you see the larger picture and become more resilient in the face of adversity. Practicing gratitude has been seen in research to significantly enhance mood by triggering feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the brain leading to feelings of happiness and contentment. According to Diniz et al., (2021), being grateful has been linked to higher levels of life satisfaction, optimism, vitality, empathy, forgiveness and positive affect. Gratitude, when practiced, has been seen to decrease depression and anxiety symptoms, and feelings of envy and negativity.
Take pause for a moment to appreciate the things we would normally take for granted. Gratitude is a perspective and an active choice. Regardless of how you choose to start using gratitude, it begins with practicing gratitude in your daily life. Taking time to notice the good in each day. Someone could have everything and still feel as if they have nothing and, on the other hand, another could appear to have nothing and be completely satisfied with what they have. You may never know the impact gratitude will have on others and the future it could impact for you, until you start practicing.
By: Amy Post LPC, LCPC
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