Gratitude

Photo by Connie Sue2

I have a sign in my office at work with a single word on it: “Gratitude.” It sits on the bulletin board over my desk, where I see it multiple times a day, partly as a reminder and partly as a challenge. A reminder that yes, I have a LOT in my life to be grateful for. It is easy to forget that when the paperwork piles up, phone calls are coming in rapidly, and I feel I don’t have the energy to talk with one more person. But that simple sign also serves as a daily challenge to myself. When all those deadlines and responsibilities are looming around me, can I maintain some focus on the things I am grateful for? Like the fact that I have a job that I love?

It takes a conscious effort for most of us to really find and nourish gratitude in our lives. We are surrounded by a culture of complaints, perceived problems, and negativity that interfere with automatic gratuitous thoughts and ideas. Just listen to the evening news on most television stations for a quick reminder that being thankful is not where many of us focus. But that does not mean that it isn’t possible… or that it wouldn’t be healthy.

A recent study by a Psychology professor and student at York University (Myriam Mongrain, Ph.D. and Susan Sergeant), found that listing five things a day that someone is grateful for can decrease depression and increase well-being for people who tend to focus on negative things in life. Even other positive exercises (e.g., listening to uplifting music) did not elicit the same increase in well-being as journaling gratitude did. These results suggest that there is something inherent in being thankful that enhances our lives.

People have recognized the benefit of gratitude for centuries. Prayer for the spiritually religious focuses on giving thanks, holiday traditions such as Thanksgiving encourage gratitude, and handwritten “thank you” notes to someone who has shown kindness expresses appreciation. But sometimes we forget to be grateful for the seemingly minimal things in our everyday routines. Perhaps that is why something like a gratitude journal, as the participants in the above study kept, can be extremely helpful in keeping us mindful of the things we are thankful for every day. If you are interested in trying a gratitude journal, here are some ways to start:

1. Don’t make your gratitude journal just “something else on your to-do list,” or it will feel like a task rather than a journey toward well-being. Remind yourself about the benefits of feeling grateful for the various things in your life, and approach your journal with an open mind.

2. Set aside time each day for your gratitude journal. When will you realistically be most likely to work on it? If you are an early riser, perhaps this is something you could spend some time with in the morning. Maybe sitting down with your journal at night is more feasible and will allow you some time to review your day with a focus on the positive. Either way, choose a time that works for you, devote 5-10 minutes to it, and make it a part of your routine.

3. Use an actual journal. A non-expensive notebook works fine – just designate it exclusively for your thoughts about gratitude. Keep it somewhere that you can easily access it, and if possible, see it throughout the day as a reminder. Also, hand-written journals can be more emotionally meaningful than something type-written. There is something about seeing our thoughts in our own handwriting that is especially important. So while an electronic journal may be easy, it might not fully accomplish the goal here.

4. Write down 5 things each day that you are grateful for. Be specific and look for small things in your day that you can include. If you strive to identify 5 different things each day, you will quickly run through the usual “family, home, health” choices and have to become more creative. Maybe you are thankful for a new copy machine at work that has made your job much easier, or a new recipe for brownies shared by a dear friend. Similarly, think about things in your life that initially may seem negative, but that you can find some gratitude in. For example: “I am grateful for that driver who cut me off in traffic this afternoon because he reminded me about the importance of safe and defensive driving.”

5. Think about your gratitude journal throughout the day. Using this technique will not only force you to find things you are thankful for while writing them down, but will also encourage you to look for these things throughout your day. If you know you have to come up with 5 original choices tomorrow morning, you will start to search them out regularly. Doing so instills a feeling of well-being at times you may not typically expect it. (For example, while driving in traffic, as noted above!).

With the holidays quickly approaching, gratitude may be on your mind more now than at other times of the year. I have fond childhood memories of going around the Thanksgiving Day dinner table with each family member identifying something we were grateful for. But the sentiment usually faded quickly… (often before dessert, because I knew I would soon have to help clean up all those dishes!). A daily reminder that, despite hardships and a life that seems out of balance, we can all find something to be grateful for is valuable. Take an opportunity today to start your own gratitude journal, and begin searching for your life treasures.

Leave us a comment and let us know something you are grateful for today.