How Do You Express Gratitude?
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Autumn is the season to give thanks for what we have: the food on our table, our family and friends, our health and home. Showing gratitude is good for your health. The Harvard Medical School published a report, Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier that supports an association between gratitude and an individual’s well-being. But what if you find it hard to be thankful? How do you express gratitude?
Research from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley suggests that “gratitude is not simply a cultural construct. It has deep roots that are embedded in our evolutionary history, our brains and DNA, and in child development.” In the article, Why Gratitude is So Hard for Some People, it explains how gratitude may be linked to genetics; some people are just born with it. “Certain personality factors can also act as barriers to gratitude. In particular, envy, materialism, narcissism, and cynicism can be thought of as ‘thieves of thankfulness’.” The good news is that gratitude isn’t purely hard-wired. It is something we can cultivate. You can read the full study here: The Science of Gratitude.
Here are some simple ways to practice gratitude (from the Harvard Medical School article, In Praise of Gratitude).
- Write a thank-you note (send it or not). The mere act of writing a letter can help you appreciate the people in your life.
- 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.
- Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about three to five things that you are grateful for. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
- Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
- Meditate. Close your eyes. Focus on your deep breathing or on what you are feeling grateful for in the present (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
November 13 is World Kindness Day, an occasion to highlight good deeds in the community, positive power and the common thread of kindness that binds us. In today’s dissentious world, let’s agree to be kind and gracious to each other and to ourselves.
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