November is Gratitude month here in the US. While there are certainly cultural complexities around the history of this month, I’d like to address gratitude as a concept and a tool for coping in times of deep personal and equally disturbing, worldwide challenges.
WHAT is it
Gratefulness is a practice of choosing to acknowledge what is going right in your life, family, society, world at large, and to express your thankfulness for that, no matter how large or small. Gratitude is not just an attitude, but a way of thinking or a lifestyle to cultivate. It’s a way to hack your own neuroplasticity and health.
WHO is it for
Anyone! Especially if you suffer from depression or any mental or physical challenges. Everyone can benefit from starting a gratitude practice.
WHY do it
It might seem like a frivolous and unimportant task during times of war and great personal difficulty to make a practice of gratitude. So why do it? Because there are more peer reviewed scientific studies showing the benefits of practicing thankfulness than I can list here! There have been studies showing correlation between increased levels of gratitude and lowered levels of depression, improved sleep, helps with stopping overeating, lowers high blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, improves heart health, helps glucose levels, and heart illness (see https://research.com/education/scientific-benefits-of-gratitude for a complete list of studies).
In addition to these obvious health benefits, the same page mentioned above discusses studies that show that gratefulness helps with mental, emotional, social and professional benefits as well.
WHERE and HOW to practice
You don’t need anything formal to start a gratitude practice, except a willingness to try.
A lot of stuff in life sucks, especially these days with a raging war in the middle east and a lot of fear causing havoc in people’s lives. You can start just by acknowledging that the bad is very real, and not to be discounted. However, when you notice something that is consuming your being and affecting your life, it’s ok to stop, take a breath, and be thankful for the very ability to take a breath. That can be the most important start to a gratitude practice.
Some people like a more formal structure to follow, and for those folks I suggest writing in a journal daily for 15 minutes. You can simply practice seeking out what you are grateful for, or practice finding the teaching you might be receiving from something that is a great challenge. For others, it’s enough to simply make it a habit in your own mind, to watch the thoughts and see if you can find things to be grateful for, or change the attitude about a bad situation you might be facing. Maybe you’re someone who wants some accountability for your practice. If that’s you, then follow me on social media this month as I’ll be encouraging you on instagram @soundmovementservices to take a moment to stop your scrolling and share with me what you’re thankful for, large or small.
Believe the science and just try it with me for the remainder of the month!