A few weeks ago, I was sick. I don’t get sick very often, but this time I was down for the count.
After several days of being sick, I started to feel a glorious feeling. It was the feeling of… feeling normal.
I go through life every day feeling like this. I don’t usually appreciate normal. But compared to being sick, normal felt AMAZING.
It got me thinking about how easy it is to take things for granted.
We have many things we could be grateful for, but without actively thinking about them and pointing them out, they tend to just feel “normal.”
There’s been some buzz about gratitude in the mental health world over the last 10 years. So, what’s the big deal about it?
Practicing gratitude helps train your brain to notice positive things in your environment – whether it’s experiences, people, or resources.
When you train your brain to notice the positive, you can divert your attention away from dwelling on negative thoughts. Since persistent negative thinking tends to be a component of depression and anxiety, gratitude can help you cope with both of those experiences.
Gratitude can help in relationships, too. Can you remember the last time your partner or a friend genuinely thanked you for something that you did? How did that feel? Want to know something cool? You can spontaneously share that feeling with anyone you care about, at any time, by expressing gratitude toward them.
It also helps at work. Shower the people on your team with appreciation and praise for a job well done. It’s free, it takes very little time and energy, and it boosts job satisfaction and motivation.
There’s some research that even shows that practicing gratitude has positive health benefits, including lower blood pressure, better sleep, increased exercise, and better self-care habits.
What are some practical ways to practice gratitude?
If you don’t already have a gratitude practice, you can start small. Can you take 5 minutes once a week to think of a few things you feel grateful for? What do you need to be able to do that? A reminder-alert? A place to record these things? See if you can set yourself up for success.
If you want to expand on that, try increasing the frequency. Can you do it multiple times a week? Maybe even daily?
See if you can notice the impact your practice is having on you. Does anything feel different, even slightly?
You can also practice gratitude in your relationships. I love Dr. John Gottman’s suggestion to “catch your partner doing something well.” It’s easy to criticize, but it takes a little more effort to acknowledge what you appreciate about your partner. See if you can actively look for the things your partner does that you are grateful for. You can do the same thing in friendships and in relationships with family members.
Practicing gratitude is free, it doesn’t take much effort, and it seems to have some significant benefits. Sounds like it’s worth a try.