Welcome to 2019 and our first post for the year focused on gratitude. In fact, all of the posts this month will discuss various aspects of gratitude, the reasons to practice, and the science that supports those reasons.
What the heck is gratitude? Isn’t it just saying thank you or writing an email? Well, that’s a part of it. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, gratitude is:
The state of being grateful: THANKFULNESS, expressed
The word “gratitude” as defined above, was first used nearly 500 years ago (1523). Gratitude is considered as a “prized human propensity” by different faiths, and as “a motivational force for human altruism” by philosopher Sir Thomas Aquinas. A strong definition, indeed!
For a more detailed interpretation, let’s turn to Robert Emmons, considered a scientific expert on gratitude. He breaks gratitude into two parts:
- Affirming goodness, as we “affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received.”
- Recognizing that source of goodness rests outside of ourselves. “We acknowledge that other people—or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.”
Why gratitude? Why discuss it again? Some of you may remember that we spent the month of October focused on gratitude and open letters of thanks to others. (www.SarahBoxx.com/blog) I have my reasons – four of them to be precise.
My Four Reasons for Focusing on Gratitude Throughout January
- First, because it’s a practice that benefits me, in some of the ways listed above, but also in creativity, trust, curiosity, engagement, and many other ways. (OK… I see those examples are linked to the broad categories noted by science and research.) My nature and inclination when I learn, experience or understand something that might help others like me, is that I want to share. Spread the love and gratitude!
- Second, (also personal), is because I hope that as more of us practice gratitude (and compassion), we will collectively swing the pendulum of possibility in a new direction. Hope, generosity of spirit, kindness, and “roll-up-the-sleeves and into thoughts and action” for goodwill to expand as rhetoric and labeling will shrink.
- Third, (again, personal and kind of bossy) is that when I hear people gripe (even me) about what are often inconveniences, minor (sometimes significant) setbacks, and yet they are still alive and drawing breath, able to participate in life. There are so many who no longer are. OK… off my soapbox. (I can get a little crazy about griping, I admit it.)
- Fourth (but perhaps most important to you as readers), because the benefits are significant. Science shows we reap the rewards when we cultivate a practice of gratitude, including improvements in
- Health – physical, mental and emotional
- Relationships – with self and others
- Sleep – more restful and consistent
- Mental stamina and resilience
- Happiness and satisfaction with life
Think about these 6 “brain” benefits from reported in The Biology of Gratitude. When we feel gratitude or experience acts of kindness, our hypothalamus kicks into gear. A functioning hypothalamus matters because it regulates many of our bodily functions (e.g., our appetites, sleep, temperature, metabolism, etc.) Gratitude floods our brain with the chemical dopamine (the “feel good” hormone). We become motivated to practice gratitude and acts of kindness because we are rewarded chemically. People who practiced gratitude and kept a gratitude journal also have reduced symptoms (16%) and decreased pain (10%).
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
The last four benefits are some of my favorites because I know them first hand. Gratitude is good for our sleep. It improves the quality and duration. When we sleep better, we wake more refreshed and relaxed. This serves to relieve stress from various areas of our external environments lives and internal conditions (e.g., cardiovascular and nervous systems) as it reduces cortisol. Additionally, gratitude practices increase happiness and decrease depression, as gratitude brings about changes in the prefrontal cortex.
“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
Finally, gratitude makes us stronger. Science isn’t sure why, but it has its hypotheses: better sleep, increased optimism, higher energy levels, stronger immune systems. The reasons why are less important than the findings that gratitude “benefits our bodies, minds, and souls.”
I hope by now you have your own reasons for wanting to begin or return to a practice of gratitude. Stay motivated to take a few minutes each day to write, reflect or act from a place of gratitude.
Next week we’ll go into depth on how gratitude has been shown to improve our physical, mental and emotional health, and our relationships. If you are up for some fun and rewards around gratitude (really, it is), sign up for our free, 31-day gratitude series HERE or follow our Facebook page where we set out a new gratitude challenge EVERY day!
