Lately, the world is a mess. It has been one for some time, but ever since the pandemic began, 2020 and beyond has turned normalcy into a distant memory, With the loss, unfulfilled desires, isolation and instability, it has been human nature to count our misfortunes rather than our blessings.
While this is a totally normal reaction to the last year’s events, it is neither productive nor healthy. If there ever was a time to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine, this would be it.
A daily gratitude practice is shown to reap significant benefits in many areas including emotional, social, overall health and even in your career.
When we make an intentional effort to notice the things we have in our lives rather than focusing on what we don’t, it promotes a general attitude of positivity, reduces feelings of jealousy, increases self-esteem, as well as impacts psychological health even so far as to quelling suicidal thoughts and coping with depression.
Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if you have experienced any of these negative feelings. Depression occurs 3 TIMES more in adults since COVID happened. And with isolation and depression, come the bad thoughts and the drop in confidence and self-worth. When you lose a job or even have the opportunity to work from home, feelings of uselessness and monotony can sneak up on you. Gratitude is a non-pharmaceutical way to treat this pain.
When we get our heads right and filled with gratitude, we become more optimistic, altruistic and even can find faith where maybe we have been lost. We also tend to more easily let go of material attachments and find more value in moments.
In a world where we are surrounded by our stuff rather than people, where we are stuck in our homes rather in exciting places like the movie theater or amusement park – or hey, even just a simple restaurant – we become attached to our belongings and feel like those times will never return. We lose hope, and may even ask the Creator, why would you do this?
But when we incorporate gratitude in our lives, we realize the things around us don’t hold as much value as we place on them and even from afar, we need to be grateful for the people in our lives and find ways to make our homes and our video chats exciting rather than negative. Instead of thinking, “this sucks that we can’t spend time together right now,” try “I am so happy we have this technology to keep us connected through this difficult time.” See how much better that feels?
Once the effects of gratitude occur within us, it only makes sense that it would lead to having more friends and general likability, more positive relationships with significant others, better relationships with with our existing friends and family as well as more success and fulfillment in our jobs.
Gratitude doesn’t only affect these types of psychosocial aspects of life, but is effective holistically, improving your physical body as well. Weekly gratitude is shown to reduce high blood pressure significantly – imagine what a daily practice could do! It’s also said to improve sleep patterns and quality and increase how much you decide to exercise.
All of these things are connected and without balance in these areas, happiness can be a struggle. We need to feed our soul which will change our brain chemistry and promote behaviors which improve our physiology and our social lives.
So how can you get started on your personal journey of gratitude?
First of all, start small. When developing new habits, it’s better to gradually build up to daily practice rather than biting off more than you can chew. Maybe start with once the first week, twice the next and continue to build up until it becomes natural for you to do it every day.
Also, do it in a way that you enjoy. For example, if you hate writing, don’t try to start a gratitude journal. There are so many ways to incorporate this in your daily life.
It’s best to practice at the same time every day to solidify the habit. But be careful that your habit doesn’t become only that! Make sure to maintain a mindful awareness while practicing gratitude.
If you do like writing, you can keep a special journal dedicated to your gratefulness practice. Or, if you are more likely to type than write, you can always keep an online document. You can take a few minutes before you go to sleep to think about your day and all the things to be grateful for.
It doesn’t have to be something huge; you can be grateful for the little things just as much such as the fact that you made a bomb breakfast today or you laughed very hard at something earlier. It can be anything that brings you joy and peace. Those little things are very important!
You can also practice gratitude by thanking someone each day for something they have done. This also shows the other person they are appreciated, so it’s a win-win.
If you like watching videos, you could commit to watching one inspirational video each time you go on YouTube. This will stir up those same feelings of gratitude and positivity.
Meditation is a great way to be grateful! Meditation has so many additional benefits, and adding a gratitude practice into your meditation can be just the enhancement you need. It can be as simple as a mantra during your meditation such as “Thank you,” or you can go into detail like a journal of thought, “Thank you for _____.” You can apply this idea to your prayer time, as well.
You can use a gratitude stone, too. It doesn’t have to be a stone, actually. You can use a stone, rock, paperclip, marble – any type of small, portable object. Keep it on your person every single day. Every time you go into your pockets and bump into your object, think of something you are grateful for. It will always be a reminder of the positive change you have committed to creating in your life.
Gratitude can also help with addiction recovery. Any kind of addiction whether that is food, social media or hard drugs. Overdoses have dramatically increased due to the pandemic. Don’t be another statistic. Get help. Or if you refuse to seek out help, if you insist on trying this by yourself, start with gratitude. Every time you feel that burning desire to do what you know you should not, think of some things you are blessed with in life – the clothes on your back, the people who care about you and want you to get better, the fact that you are still here while so many have perished. Use that to overcome.
To be grateful does not exclusively exist within happiness.
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Now, you might be thinking, but what do I possibly have to be grateful for? I’ve lost someone from COVID, I’ve lost my job, I’ve lost my home, I’ve lost a pet, etc. The list will go on. I am NOT minimizing the distress you are in. You may be going through the hardest time of your life at this very moment. And these issues are serious. But they don’t have to determine your attitude moving forward. You are allowed to be sad, angry, hurt. But during these emotional states, it is still possible to also be grateful. This is not a black and white thing. To be grateful does not exclusively exist within happiness.
Try these:
I lost someone or a pet, but I am SO GRATEFUL for the time we had together.
I lost my job, but I am GRATEFUL for the extra time I have spent with my family. Or GRATEFUL for the opportunity to find a new calling, maybe!
I lost my home, but I am GRATEFUL there was someone willing to take me in/I was able to find a rental.
There is always something to be grateful for, even in the darkness. That is that little far-off light you see. And that light signifies that there is still hope.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there is help. Please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ‘1-800-273-TALK (8255)’ or text TALK to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there is help. Please contact SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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