The Power of Practicing Gratitude. Depression and Anxiety Therapy in San Francisco, CA.
You’ve heard it many times before. “It’s important to be thankful.” “We should count our blessings.” “We have a lot to be grateful for.”
Saying “thank you,” is a common way we express gratitude on a regular basis. Essentially, we are expressing appreciation for something someone has done for us or given us. Being thankful helps us to relate to one another in a warm way which helps foster good relationships.
Gratitude has multiple purposes.
Gratitude has purposes from a social perspective, relational perspective, psychological perspective, and religious or spiritual perspective. Gratitude can come in many different forms. These include appreciation, acknowledgement, thankfulness, and recognition, to name a few.
Gratitude is something we often hear more about around the holidays, such as Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and Canada. Most religions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, have gratitude as a positive focus and they encourage practicing and living in gratitude as a way of life. From a spiritual and religious standpoint, gratitude is said to help us recognize that we are not just an individual, but that we are connected to a world and universe that is greater than us, whether that is God or nature, or some other higher power.
Being grateful is a positive emotion.
From a psychological health perspective, feeling thankful is a positive emotion that can foster a deeper and longer lasting sense of positivity. Despite going through difficult times, practicing gratitude allows us to stay connected with what is good in our lives, focusing more on the good and less on what’s not good. It can even help us to cope with the challenges we are facing, because gratitude gives us hope, internal strength, and stamina to keep going. Feeling connected to positive emotions also helps buffer us from feeling down, sad, disappointed, and discouraged.
When it comes to mental health, for example, dealing with depression and anxiety can cause one to get mired in what’s “wrong” or “bad” with oneself or one’s life. In therapy, during times of depression and anxiety, practicing gratitude is often encouraged as one way to help ease the sensations of unpleasant feelings. This can help one to realize things that make them feel grateful, allowing one to experience more positive feelings. The more we allow ourselves to engage in and experience positive emotions, such as gratitude, allows us to grow these positive emotions within us. When we feel more positive emotions, we feel less of the negative emotions. In fact, people who practice gratitude tend to be more mentally and emotionally happier and balanced. They also tend to have a more positive outlook and satisfaction regarding their life. And due to the mind-body connection, gratitude can be linked to people having better physical health.
Easier said than done? Sure. We all have moments when we know we should be thankful for what we have, but it’s hard. Essentially what we are saying is that in those moments, it’s not coming naturally. That’s ok. Gratitude is something that can be practiced and repeated, and the effects can build over time.
There are several ways to start practicing gratitude today and cultivating this positive feeling more into your life.
Here are some ways to get started:
1. Keep a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a journal kept for precisely for writing down thoughts of gratitude. Each morning and/or night, you can write 3 things that you are grateful for that day. It can be something that happened that day or acknowledging appreciation for someone in your life. It can be a big thing, but it doesn’t have to be. The practice of gratitude helps us to remember things we might otherwise take for granted. For example, you can write how you feel grateful that the sun shined today. However, the exercise doesn’t end there. The purpose is to feel the emotions of gratitude as you recall and write down each of the 3 things you are grateful for.
2. Practice gratitude throughout the day. As you go about your day, notice things that are positive or going your way. For example, you can feel grateful as you sip your cup of coffee. You can feel thankful for a favor that someone does for you. You can reach out to someone you care about and tell them that you love them and are thankful for them.
3. Go on a nature walk. During your walk, notice the nature around you and allow yourself to appreciate the flowers, trees, birds, and whatever else you notice.
4. Write a gratitude letter. Choose someone who is in your life and write them a gratitude letter. In the letter, you can express your appreciation for what they have done for you and what they mean to you. Be authentic and honest. You may choose to send it or not. But the feelings that are brought up as you write the letter will build gratitude.
These practices for gratitude are not a cure for depression or anxiety, and not a substitute for mental health treatment. Gratitude should not be used to deny our true feelings. If you’re feeling negative in any way, it’s important to acknowledge how you feel and deal with the feelings you are having; this can include seeking out therapy for anxiety or depression.
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I hope this post has provided some direction for increasing emotions of thankfulness within you. While practices of gratitude have many mental health benefits, it is not always so straightforward. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, find out more about how I can help here. Contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how depression and anxiety therapy in San Francisco, CA, can help you.
