When we talk about gratitude, what comes to mind for you?
In the last decades, researchers have explored gratitude in action to see if there are any measurable benefits to practicing gratitude. Some of the findings are quite poignant, showing that gratitude indeed has benefits, and these impacts extend beyond momentary increases of happiness to provide long-term effects on wellbeing.
While there’s quite a bit of research available these days, I want to focus on Robert Emmons’ and Michael McCullough’s work, as they are known as two of the primary researchers who study gratitude. I also want to focus on their work today because they offer actionable steps and strategies we can use to practice gratitude in our own lives.
Benefits of Gratitude
1. Can help to strengthen social relationships
Gratitude helps us to develop psychological resources. As we practice gratitude, we enhance our connections with others and tend to feel closer to the important people in our lives. These connections then support us, make us feel loved and valued, and increase our feelings of wellbeing.
2. Can help deter negative states
One of the key components here is a shift in thinking. Positive cognitions, thinking about and appreciating what we have rather than ruminating about what we lack, can help fend against negative emotions and experiences of depression.
3. Can boost resiliency against stress
Gratitude and other positive emotions help individuals and communities to cope in the face of disaster, tragedy, and stress. Gratitude is shown to also help fend off psychiatric disorders. This returns to the point of building psychological resources. Gratitude helps us build our resiliency, which allows us to better handle and cope with negative emotions and experiences.
Ways We Can Practice Gratitude
1. Gratitude journaling
Research has shown that keeping a gratitude journal can help us achieve the benefits of grateful thinking. Spending time every night to make a brief list of things you are grateful for can do the trick. Think back over your day. What are you grateful to have experienced? Who are you grateful to have spoken to? What are you grateful to have? Investing the time and energy into making this a daily habit can have huge benefit.
And don’t fret if you find this difficult. I’ve talked with individuals who regularly keep gratitude journals. They’ve told me that at first it was tricky to shift their thinking. They struggled to come up with their list every night. However as they developed the habit and expanded their thinking to incorporate this grateful thinking, the journaling practice became much more natural.
2. Recalling positive experiences
Spending time in the past positive, thinking about positive memories and experiences, can promote gratitude. This may look like taking time to think back over your positive memories individually, or reliving them with others. Are there people in your life who have contributed to those positive memories? Consider letting them know the impact they’ve had – this is another way to take action on your gratitude.
3. Savoring
This largely relates to being present and aware. Are you enjoying a nice meal with loved ones? Are you spending time on something you really enjoy? Taking time to pause and recognize the gratitude you feel for these moments as they occur can help to slow down feelings of busyness, cultivate awareness that may increase our wellbeing, and pay attention to the little things day-to-day that make life meaningful.
So…what do you think? When you think of gratitude now, has anything changed from your initial thoughts? Are there ways you could play around with practicing gratitude today? Or this week?
Want more time tips?
Join my Time Keepers email list for monthly insights, tips, and stories that can help you to make time for what truly matters in your life.
