Having an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude is more than just feeling positive; it is skill that needs to be developed.

We can think of gratitude as a psychological muscle that needs to be exercised. The more we practice it, the easier it becomes to incorporate every day. It involves paying attention to your environment and the people around you. In this article, you’ll discover some ways you can practice gratitude and how it makes a positive difference in your life.

Ways to Practice Gratitude

Blessing Bracelets

With a mission to spread a message of the power of gratitude, Dawn Sprong designed The Blessing Bracelet which includes four coloured beads. They are available online for purchase, but you can just as easily make your own bracelet at home with string and four beads.

Each time you notice the bracelet, think of four things that you’re grateful for: your home, your dog, a good cup of coffee, the flower you notice on a walk, or whatever comes to mind. As you wear the bracelet, you can feel gratitude for these blessings and will discover changes in your heart over time.

Gratitude Journals

What are you grateful for right now? If you can’t think of something, start with gratitude that you were able to get up this morning and that you were able to breathe. When expression becomes a habit, it is much easier. Sometimes we can get bored thinking of something to write about. There are blogs you can refer to.

Use More of Our Senses

Having more than one sense involved increases our attitude of gratitude. When you’re walking, pay attention to sights and sounds. Practice deep breathing as you think about your blessings. When you smell or taste something, these senses may trigger memories. A song or a particular food will also bring back memories of good experiences. This will increase our feelings of gratitude. Notice new things around you and new things about your friends. Focusing on the good replaces harmful thoughts and negative emotions.

We all make mistakes. If you remember the bad things that happen in your life, the contrast between the good and bad will help you feel gratitude more easily. You can see how much you have progressed. Feel these feelings; state what you have learned and express your gratitude.

Gratitude in Group Settings

Kia Afcari from the Greater Good Science Center suggests using Gratitude Huddle at work, with friends, or at home. Look to your left and say something you appreciate about that person. Continue around the group. Consider how you feel when someone shows appreciation for you. Everyone needs to feel appreciated and know they’re valued. It increases their sense of social worth and leads to greater social behaviour.

After this exercise, people felt safer and had a sense of belonging. Listening to others express appreciation for the person on their left affected everyone in the group. This group experience proved to be even more valuable than the individual experience.

How Does Gratitude Change Us?

According to Joel Wong, a professor of counselling psychology, it’s not easy for some of us to reach out when we need help. It involves humility. When we do reach out, we form connections. We are retraining our minds to see the goodness in others and are thereby more willing to do good deeds.

Gratitude interrupts negative bias, decreases anxiety and depression, and shifts our mindset. Our blood vessels widen, our blood flows more easily, and our stress hormones decrease. Gratitude helps lower stress, depression, and anxiety and as a result, builds up optimism and hope. It calms the nervous system, creating greater relaxation and deeper sleep. Research shows that people who express gratitude tend to develop better eating habits and increase their overall health. Social interactions also improve as we pay forward the gratitude we feel. MRI machines have detected parts of the brain becoming activated that were not previously activated.

Terry Whitehead
Wellness Committee Member