“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.”
– Rumi
With Thanksgiving upon us, let’s take a look at gratitude. What is it? How does it affect our health and well-being? How do we practice it? According to Harvard Health Publishing, “gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible.” It’s when we acknowledge the goodness in our lives and recognize that the source of that goodness is both inside and outside ourselves.
Thanksgiving is a day when we put a focus on all that we are grateful for. Take a second and picture yourself there now… The table is set, friends and family have gathered around—whatever crazy, funny, lovely cast of characters that may be for you. The wine has been poured, the plates are piled high, and, even though you doubled the recipe this year, there’s still not quite enough stuffing. The conversation flows and the laughs are hearty as Uncle Frank goes back for thirds. Even the cleanup is a party as everyone pitches in. Well, everyone but Uncle Frank who’s sound asleep on the couch, snoring like a freight train. Can you see it? Are you full of the feeling of thanksgiving? Here’s the thing: we don’t have to limit our gratitude to just one day. Embodying the emotion of gratitude everyday can not only lift our mood, it can also improve health and vitality, help in dealing with adversity, and build stronger relationships.
In one study on gratitude, a group of people were asked to write a few sentences about things that occurred during the week that they were grateful for. A second group was asked to write about things during the week that pissed them off. Maybe not surprisingly, the gratitude group reported being more optimistic and happier with their lives. More surprising to the researchers, the grateful group also reported exercising more and having fewer visits to the doctor than the group that focused on what aggravated them. Other studies have shown that people who are grateful experience less pain, have lower levels of stress, sleep better, have stronger immune systems, have healthier relationships, and perform better both professionally and academically. That’s an awful lot of bang for way less than a buck. At IMS, none of this surprises us. Gratitude is a powerful love-based emotion, and as we spend time in a love-based neurological state, our parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system response is active. When this response is active, our body heals and rejuvenates, and operates optimally.
Gratitude is an incredibly powerful emotion and way of being. Some people are simply more inclined to feel grateful as part of their daily routine, either because gratitude was imprinted on them in childhood, or because they set out to develop it consciously. But if you don’t fall into that particular group, don’t worry! You can develop your own practice of regularly feeling and expressing gratitude. And the best part is, the more grateful you are, the greater your ability to experience gratitude. All it takes is simply recognizing when we have experienced a positive outcome and taking the time to name and appreciate all that we have, right down to the most basic thing, which is that we are alive. Setting a baseline of gratitude for simply opening our eyes each morning guarantees that we can connect to gratitude in any moment.
There are several things you can incorporate into your day-to-day that will increase feelings of gratitude. It’s not just about what you are doing, but the type of person you are being. When you’re out at a restaurant, be the person who learns your server’s name and use it to thank them for taking great care of you. Make sure they pass your thanks on to the chef and the rest of the restaurant staff. When you go to the grocery store, be the person who pulls a cart for the guy behind you and help the little old lady who’s reaching for a jar of pickles on the top shelf. When you’ve reached the end of the day and you’re watching Netflix with the kids, be the person who expresses thankfulness for having a safe home, a loving family, and a bitchen new season of Cobra Kai. Living in a space of gratitude not only creates a sense of abundance, it also gives way to kindness. In turn, acts of kindness engender gratitude in those you interact with. Like the Johnny Appleseed of gratitude, you can spread seeds of gratefulness everywhere you go!
Focusing on gratitude helps us to see what we already have rather than look for what we wish we had. As with everything we do here at IMS, putting time and effort into a practice of gratitude will create a reality of gratefulness. Remember, we don’t create what we intend, we create what we focus on. Don’t just decide to be more thankful, make it a part of your way of being. That being said, thank you for taking the time to read this! I’m grateful for each and every one of you.
If you’re looking for a great place to train and integrate gratitude into your way of being, I highly recommend IM Reset! Click HERE to learn more.