Attitude of Gratitude
We’ve all gotten caught up in the whirlwind of living the life of a human. When we get used to living fast paced lives, we can sometimes overlook the small things that make life worth living. Taking a moment to reflect and truly appreciate all the things going well in life is a very valuable practice.
Gratitude is much different than positivity or even the dreaded, “toxic positivity.” Gratitude is a feeling of strong appreciation for someone or something. Gratitude does not ask you to “feel better” or “just be happy.” Gratitude gives you a chance to focus on what you have in the present moment rather than focusing on what you don’t have, or want in the future. It’s easy to get caught up in the habit of thinking about things we think we need in order to be more successful, happier, or fulfilled in our lives. If we can stop and focus on what we already possess, we can retrain our mindset from a sense of lacking to a sense of fulfillment. This mental shift can empower you to focus on what you can control.
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always find more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough” -Oprah Winfrey
Benefits of Gratitude
Although gratitude is simply a feeling we can create inside of our body, there are a TON of benefits to it. According to Harvard Health, positive psychology research has found that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Practicing gratitude can not only improve your mental health, but it can also build a deeper and stronger relationship with yourself and others. Another benefit is that gratitude is free and can be used at any time of the day for as long as you want! For example, you can imagine eating your favorite dessert. All you have to do is spend a few moments thinking about how much you love the dessert, what you love about it, and how you feel about eating it….That’s it! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh?
Not only is it simple to practice, gratitude actually rewires the chemistry in your brain. When you practice gratitude, the chemical serotonin (aka the “happiness molecule”) is released which leads to increased levels of well-being. Additionally, the chemical oxytocin (aka the “love” hormone) is released which increases feelings of connection. Neuroscientists have discovered that we can change the way we think through simple, consistent, practices such as gratitude. This means you have the power to release these awesome, feel-good chemicals as often as you please!
Let’s get started… pull out your phone, a piece of paper, or just think about at least one of the following…
People you love (What you’ve learned from them, what you love about them)
Meaningful Experiences
Goals you’ve reached/personal victories
Things you enjoy every day (Ex. sunshine, food, showers, coffee, etc.)
Yourself (this is an important category!! What do you appreciate about yourself?)
Home Life
Workplace
Personal belongings
Up for a Gratitude Challenge?
Write down 100 things you are grateful for and put them in a jar to read when you are feeling down.
Remember, nothing is too small to be grateful for!
For more information on using gratitude to live a more fulfilling life with the help of a therapist, reach out to us at hello@mindchicago.com.
Authored by Mind Chicago therapist, Fatima Sakrani, LSW
