The Science and Practice of Gratitude

There is much talk in the personal development and positive psychology worlds about gratitude.  Whether we are suggested to journal, express, draw out, or just notice it, gratitude can start to seem like a cure-all for what ails you. 

Gratitude is certainly no silver bullet – it is a tool like anything else.  Its practice, however, is scientifically proven to have some pretty powerful impacts on both our overall wellbeing and offer momentary relief from the ails of narrowed, negative emotions.

While “toxic positivity” is ignoring all negative emotions, practices like deliberate gratitude can help soothe us during difficulty, and begin to redirect the downward spiral.  In that slowing down or reversing, we have more of our capacities at the ready for being with whatever struggles life may be presenting at the moment.

The holidays can be a tough time for many, with pressures for them to be happy and easy.  Here some specific practices to keep in mind, and a dab of science behind them:

Write down 3 things you are grateful for from your day.  Be as specific as possible, ie. I am grateful for the sunshine while I took Barley for a hike today.

Journaling is one of the most common suggestions for a reason.  Writing helps us not only reflect and strengthen our awareness, but creates a physical (manual and visual) experience along with our reflection.  This practice, on a regular basis, also strengthen our “gratitude muscle,” or ability to notice and experience the emotion of appreciation.

Tell someone about what you are grateful for about them, be specific, ie. “Thank you for slowing down the conversation when I was getting flustered”.  Friend, family, or stranger… it doesn’t matter. 

In addition to being specific, it is powerful to reflect back a character trait (a way of being) in your gratitude.  In the above example, I could add, “I see your compassion and attunement to me right now.”  When we offer this kind of “positive mirror” to others, we create exponential positive, bonding emotions – for us in awareness, in doing something kind, and in their receiving the gift of your awareness.

Meditate on gratitude by setting the intention and then reflecting purposefully on what you are grateful for in your life. 

Meditation, simply, is being with ourselves on purpose and without judgement (or, with compassion).  Meditate on gratitude can be visualizing what you are grateful for in your life, an are of your life, about yourself, another person. It can be done when you are feeling good and what to savor it, or when you are feeling strained, worried, sad, or something in between.  In those time, gratitude has the ability to “zoom us out” from being stuck in the corner of what isn’t great, into the big expanse of what is.

Try these out over the next week.  You might start with one and give it a few days.  Set reminders, it’s a new habit!  Talk about it, maybe others are trying to build emotional resilience in their lives, too.

Food for thought:

How could these impact your life? Your climbing? Your relationships?