Why the hype about gratitude?
Is “practicing gratitude” worth it?
Can keeping a gratitude journal help my overall well-being?
If you’re anything like me, you see people all over social media posting and talking about gratitude. There are entire journals you can even purchase strictly dedicated to being grateful! If that’s your jam, have at it friend. But, the best thing about having gratitude, in the end…is that it is free.
It may seem like another fad or just another buzzword to get you to click on someone’s link to their upcoming webinar or masterclass, but the truth is, gratitude really does live up to the hype. An article published on Berkeley’s website (right here) details a study that was actually performed on participants with low levels of mental health, who were about to undergo treatment for mental health issues like Depression and Anxiety. Wouldn’t you know…the group assigned to write a letter of gratitude to someone every week reported better mental health at both 4 and 12 weeks after completing the exercise. This was a boost compared to the group assigned to write about their negative thoughts & feelings, as well as the group assigned to….write nothing.
Study aside, I’m more of a “personal experience” kinda gal myself. So let’s dive in, shall we?
In my more sad-sac days, I truly would not have been caught dead “practicing gratitude.” Sure, my loved one and my possessions were important to me. I knew the world was beautiful, knew that I felt too much, knew that life was full of opportunity. However, I couldn’t seem to break through this wall in my mind and in my heart. Despite all the thinking and feeling that happens in this vessel of mine, there was always such a disconnect between me and all of the abundance in this world. Sure, I began making strides towards better mental health once I started working on my relationship with fitness and food. But what really has created the biggest shift has been the overall mindset transformation I’ve worked to put myself through. As I said in the last post, mindset work is what helped me change my negative thoughts or negative self-talk into positive words and affirmations….and thus, beliefs.
But, practicing gratitude adds another layer. Not only did I need to transform my negative self-talk, but I also needed to seriously sit down and acknowledge the things I was grateful for. Personally, I think the shift comes when you truly stop taking things for granted all the time. In the beginning, it may just feel like faking it til you make it. And although that’s not the greatest way to look at something, there is some truth to it. I didn’t start by writing in a journal, but by thinking of what I was grateful for while doing yoga. I mean, it’s already a practice that usually begins with some sort of intention or affirmation. From there, it became a little easier to move into thoughts of gratitude.
“Wow, I’m so grateful for these legs, for getting deeper into a forward fold. For yoga, because it’s increasing my core strength even more, and will help prevent my back from going out too often.”
You see, it snowballed from there.
Soon, I gave gratituding (new word, why not?) a try in my day to day life. Not on paper, but mentally, to start. Even if I found myself in the darkness, recognizing and “counting my blessings,” so to speak, helped me hold onto hope and light. Thinking of what you’re grateful for and why won’t just alter your mood right in the moment necessarily, but it certainly lays a solid foundation. When I need to get out of a funk, the best practice is thinking and feeling outside of myself, especially in the form of gratitude. Over time, this consistent practice aids in making you aware of the abundance that exists in your life already.
Sure, one of the frustrating things about mental illnesses like Depression or Anxiety is that they can plague us for seemingly no reason what-so-ever. Maybe there’s “nothing wrong” in our lives, but these chronic issues hit us anyway. But, just like any chronic illness out there, isn’t it worth it to at least try to put in the work to take ownership and make things better for ourselves? I certainly believe so. And this is when it comes in handy to actually start journaling. Even on your darkest days, if you force yourself to think outside about any of the things you are grateful for, and you write those things down…heck, then you’ve accomplished something positive. It’s a building block to work from, to keep the hope and light and abundance coming into your world and your heart. Over time, for me, writing down what I am grateful for and why has totally changed my perspective for the better. It’s a practice that seriously initiates a shift from the constant negative garbage into ideas and aspects of life that always keep me going.
These things can be as basic as your toothbrush, for being gentle on your sensitive gums…all the way to your best friend, for being there when you needed someone the most. It puts the small stuff and the big stuff into perspective, I feel. When I’ve written down 10 things I’m grateful for (and why), I read over that list and there’s this sense of love and truth and fullness that I may have completely lacked before I started writing.
It can feel silly at first, if you find yourself writing daily gratitudes about inanimate objects or mundane activities…but the point is that there is always something or someone that exists outside of ourselves that needs a shout out. There are so many things we lose sight on day to day, especially if Depression has us dwelling on past traumas or Anxiety has us spiraling out of control about the great unknown that is the future.
No. Bring yourself back to today. Right now. What are some of the things surrounding you right now that are helping you get through the day? Is there someone on your mind who you just feel so much love towards? Write those things down. Put a date on the page. Let yourself slide into an attitude of gratitude, and see how it changes your day, over time.
So today…. I’m asking you to write down what you’re grateful for. Start with 3 things. Write down why you’re grateful for each one….and then, carry on this practice at least 3 days a week. Maybe you bump it up to 7 days, or 5 things, etc. But, take action and see how it shifts your perspective and attitude over the next few weeks. You’ll see what all the hype is about soon enough, and the abundance you will feel in your life will seriously amaze you.
Love and light, my friends.
-Brittni
Brittni Stephens 