Gratitude — What Is It Good For?
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, gratitude might be getting a lot of attention as the holiday can serve as a reminder for us to give thanks for all we have. On the other hand, it may have become one of those words that makes you roll your eyes and wonder if taking time out of your already jam-packed day for gratitude will really bring any benefits. Turns out the answer is yes. More and more studies support the benefits of practicing gratitude. This study found making time to acknowledge the good in your life can have immediate and lasting positive effects.
If you are new to the idea of practicing gratitude, fear not, it can be as simple as taking a moment to acknowledge something or someone in your life you appreciate. How you express your gratitude is up to you. It might be pausing to silently appreciate something good in your life, saying it out loud at the dinner table or before bed, or perhaps writing it down in a journal. If you’re like me and still enjoy pen and paper, you can use any notebook to get started or check out these free downloadable PDFs.
As with so many things in my life, my gratitude practice continues to evolve and I find myself leaning into gratitude at different times for different reasons. It can be in a moment of frustration that gratitude serves as a means to shift my perspective so I don’t feed into the feelings of frustration or it can be when everything is amazing and I pause to take it all in and appreciate it. If rattling off 3 things you are grateful for doesn’t resonate with you, perhaps you try to focus on one thing and explore it a little deeper. Try asking yourself ‘why’ you are grateful for that particular thing 3 times. It can be a powerful strategy and may bring more meaning to your gratitude practice. Anyone that has raised, or been around, pre-school aged children might be cringing right now. The 3Y has been a powerful tool in problem solving as it gets to the root of things and can not only provide clarity, it can serve as a motivator. For instance:
I am grateful for my health because
It allows me to do the things like walking up and down steps, preparing dinner for my family, and getting a workout in.
I am able to have fun with my son, and by choosing to do things that promote good health, I am leading by example for him.
It is the foundation for enjoying my life.
By the time we get to the 3rd ‘why’, we may find ourselves having to put a little more effort into our response. This is also often where the ‘good’ stuff lies.
Rest assured gratitude does not need to be that involved if it doesn’t suit you. Acknowledging the ‘ordinary’ or ‘big’ things with a quick nod is gratitude. Keep in mind gratitude is not meant to change the situation, rather it can change how we respond to a situation. It doesn’t always need to be so serious either. For instance, I am very grateful for the gluten free dressing recipe I found last year and will be savoring every bite later this month! I am not advocating for any particular way to practice gratitude, but I do advocate for finding a way to intentionally appreciate the good things in your life in some way.