By Kate Barlow | Beyond the Mirror Counseling & Wellness
What is gratitude? Is it a feeling, a state of mind, or an action? Answer: it’s all of the above! Gratitude can be defined as the acknowledgement of goodness in one’s life. Gratitude is not just an emotion, but a trait that can be practiced and cultivated. Further, gratitude is an act of resilience against the constant and consuming societal norm to “have it all” and “always be wanting more”. Gratitude doesn’t mean forgetting or devaluing all that feels heavy and hard in the world; rather, it can look like acknowledging the pain and feeling grateful for the good simultaneously. This can help us to not “bypass”, or skip over our emotions, but instead helps us to be present and hold the tension of the pain and joy alike.
Science Behind Gratitude
Gratitude has been shown to have some real-life changing benefits: practicing gratitude on a normal basis has been shown to foster and enhance emotional and social wellness, sleeping patterns, overall life satisfaction, and feelings of positivity and hope. Studies have even shown that individuals who experience more gratitude have lower levels of depression! Gratitude is our superpower: it doesn’t make our lives easier, but it can make our lives feel a little lighter and more full as we rest in the good of what’s happening in and around us.
Putting it into Practice
Here’s some more good news: the ways to practice gratitude are truly endless (and easier than you think)! You don’t need to be experiencing a big life achievement or have life going perfectly to practice gratitude. Gratitude is accessible to everybody, comes at no financial cost, and has the capacity to change the tone of your day (or even your life if you allow it to).
Here are some logistical, low-stakes ways to incorporate gratitude and moments of presence into your stuffed holiday schedule:
- Gratitude walks – bundle up, head outside with your dog, and kill two birds with one stone! Take a few moments to breathe and set an intention of curiosity and gratitude. Start by naming what you’re grateful for – it can be as simple as “I’m grateful for this quiet moment”. Notice the ordinary beauty all around you – the birds chirping, the silent falling of snow, the couple on a walk just ahead of you. You may surprise yourself at how much good is all around you! Let yourself feel grateful for your body and all that it does for you – both on this walk and in everyday life.
- Gratitude of presence – cozy up with your favorite warm drink or blanket, take a deep breath, and really be in the moment (even if it’s the five minutes at the beginning or end of your day). Allow those feelings of warmth and comfort to wash over you – what do you feel? The softness of the blanket, the quiet moment around you, savoring the taste of your drink – let yourself be present and experience the beautiful moment you created for yourself. Take a photo to remember and build a “gratitude photo album”.
- Thank you notes – this is a perfect way to make your gratitude tangible! Expressing your appreciation for others not only reminds you of the importance of human connection, but your note might also make someone’s day!
- Gratitude Diary – time to pull out that random journal that’s been floating around your house forever! Carry it around with you if you’re constantly on the go and write in it to document the good during the mundane of life. This allows us to cultivate lists of evidence that in fact, good happens all around us and to us every day. We can pull out the journal and look over the list whenever we are in need of a boost of hope or gratitude.
- Extra step: If you are a journal lover, consider these prompts to evoke a sense of gratitude – what happened today that was good? What am I taking for granted that I can be thankful for? What’s something that has influenced my life positively lately? What in life am I looking forward to?
Beauty and goodness surround us each day, and it’s up to each one of us to be present enough to acknowledge it. Gratitude has the possibility to transform all of our lives if we are able to slow down and let ourselves experience it. My invitation for you this holiday season is to be kind to yourselves by allowing the gratitude of what is to permeate your life.
Part of Beyond the Mirror’s 20th Anniversary community wellness series, “Navigating Mental Health Through the Holidays.”
