Giving Thanks can make you Happier
by Sophia Davis, Advancement & Project Manager
November kicks of the holiday season with high expectations for a cozy and festive time of year. However, for many this time of year is tinged with sadness, anxiety, or depression. Research suggests that one aspect of the Thanksgiving season can actually lift the spirits, and it’s built right into the holiday — expressing gratitude.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways: apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Gratitude is in your hands and can be cultivated.
Some Research Studies about Gratitude:
*** When you focus on the positive, you feel better ***
Participants were asked to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.
o One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week.
o A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them,
o and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative).
Results: After10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.
*** Thoughtful and intentional gratitude is powerful and lasting ***
o Participants wrote about early memories and then wrote and personally delivered a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness.
Results: Immediately participants exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.
*** Gratitude is Positively Motivating***:
o Gratitude can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.
o Managers who remember to say “thank you” to people who work for them may find that those employees feel motivated to work harder.
Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier; it helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice. Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis:
o Write a thank-you note.
You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
o Thank someone mentally.
No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
o Keep a gratitude journal.
Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you’ve received each day.
o Count your blessings.
Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
o Pray.
People who are spiritual/religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
o Meditate.
Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”), it is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
