GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

When I was growing up, my mother was big on emphasizing that all of us children (there were five of us) develop what she called, “An Attitude of Gratitude”. We had these “Standin’ Tall” ‘values’ cassettes (yes, cassette tapes -- CD players and mp3 had not been invented yet) that would teach us various values, that we would listen and follow along with an activity book. The cassette on “GRATITUDE” had a song “Gratitude Attitude” that is so catchy, I literally thought everybody knew it for years! Here is the link for it if you want to check it out, just BEWARE, it is VERY CATCHY! . As I have grown older and I am now a mother myself, I realize that gratitude is so much more than saying “Thank you”.

With the New Year upon us, I thought we could look at what being GRATEFUL truly means to each of us and how GRATITUDE can benefit not only those you thank, but can improve your overall emotional well-being. Many recent studies have found that being mindfully aware of our blessings, experiencing and expressing gratitude are strongly correlated with decreased negative emotions, increased overall well-being and personal happiness. 

Dr. Robert A, Emmons at University of California, Davis, one of the leading researchers in the study of gratitude stated: “It is possible that psychology has ignored gratitude because it appears, on the surface, to be a very obvious emotion, lacking in interesting complications….But while the emotion seemed simplistic even to me as I began my research, I soon discovered that gratitude is a deeper, more complex phenomenon that pays a critical role in human happiness. Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change people’s lives.” 3 

Research consistently concludes that, “People who regularly kept a gratitude journal and were in the habit of recognizing and expressing gratitude for their blessings reported feeling closer and more connected to people, had better relationships, were more likely to help others, felt less lonely, felt less depressed, slept better, and were more pleasant to be around.” 6

Indeed, a growing body of empirical research that strongly indicates an association between gratitude and overall well-being as well as possible therapeutic interventions for enhancing the experience of gratitude for individuals in the clinical psychotherapy setting. 

On a much smaller scale, I have implemented this experiement in my own therapeutic practice. After 30 days, the clients who regularly kept their gratitude journals did report a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms. 

How do you feel about gratitude? Here are some of my favorite talks and templates for Gratitude Journals: 
A Grateful Heart
The Divine Gift of Gratitude
Grateful in Any Circumstances
Choose Happiness

 

http://goodthingsrealized.stfi.re/25-gratitude-journal-prompts-and-ideas/?sf=okwrzke