Gratitude Is Worth It, But Not Always Easy

It is almost Thanksgiving where we tend to be focused on all that we can be thankful for. 

I did a lot of reading about the science of gratitude and associated studies done on gratitude and found it all so fascinating.  There are so many resources about the benefits of practicing gratitude, that I am not going into detail on that here, rather I was more curious about practicing gratitude when life gets hard.

Being grateful can be challenging for many people and especially during hard times.  We are hearing so much about the benefits of gratitude but how does one practice gratitude during difficult times when those benefits seem so out of reach.

Gratitude Can Be Hard for Some

You are not alone if you find practicing gratitude hard. Some studies suggest there is a genetic component to why some find it easier to practice gratitude than others.

There was a study done by Michael Steger on identical twins. Identical twins have the same DNA.  They compared them to fraternal twins, who share only 50 percent of their DNA. The self-reported levels of gratitude in the identical twins were more similar than those levels in the fraternal twins. 

There is some research that suggests that there are differences in brain activity and structure of grateful people to those less grateful individuals. It hasn’t been determined though if this is related to the actual structure of the brain or the environment or both.

Research has observed that those more likely to be grateful have more gray matter in their right inferior temporal cortex of the brain, an area linked to interpreting intentions.

A study by Glenn Gox and colleagues studied the brains of grateful people and there were differences in brain activity. They had done a study using magnetic resonance imaging and asked the study participants to imagine that they were Holocaust survivors who had received shelter or food from strangers. The participants who imagined this and said they would feel more grateful in these scenarios had more activity in brain regions associated with moral cognition, perspective-taking, and reward.

Barriers to Gratitude

It was of great interest to learn that certain personality traits tend to block the ability to be grateful and enjoy the benefits of it. Traits such as envy, materialism, narcissism, and cynicism can be thought of as “robbers of gratitude”.   

How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times

It is not easy to feel grateful during difficult times.  It is, though, an opportunity to reframe the situation and look at it through a different lens, according to Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, researcher, and author of the book Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier.

He recommends that you simply make it a point to notice opportunities that you can be thankful for every day and integrate them into your daily life. Here are some highlights of his research:

• We have the most to gain by being grateful during times of crisis
• Gratitude can energize, heal, bring hope, and help us cope
• Practicing gratitude during times of crisis is not easy but there is much to gain if you do
• It's about transforming an obstacle into an opportunity and reframing a loss into a potential gain
• Helpful questions to ask during this time:
  • What lessons did the experience teach me?
  • Can I find ways to be thankful for what happened to me now even though I was not at the time it happened?
  • What ability did the experience draw out of me that surprised me?
  • How am I now more the person I want to be because of it? Have my negative feelings about the experience limited or prevented my ability to feel gratitude in the time since it occurred?
  • Has the experience removed a personal obstacle that previously prevented me from feeling grateful?

Remember, your goal is not to relive the experience but rather to get a new perspective on it.

Is Gratitude Good For Your Health?

The jury is still out, but preliminary research suggests that grateful people may have better sleep, healthier hearts, and fewer aches and pains.

How to Practice Gratitude

A 2017 analysis of 38 gratitude studies concluded that “gratitude interventions can have positive benefits for people in terms of their well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, grateful mood, grateful disposition, and positive affect, and they can result in decreases in depressive symptoms.”.

Ways to practice gratitude include:

• Journaling about the things in your life you are grateful for and appreciate.
• Sending notes of thanks and gratitude
• Seeking awe and wonder in nature to prime your mind for gratitude
• Look for small things every day to be grateful for
• Even be thankful for your problems and reflect on the previous section to reframe your problem into something slightly more positive.

 My Gratitude

I am so grateful for my health this year and for the continued honor and privilege to assist and coach clients to improved health and wellbeing.  May you all enjoy some gratitude, social and family connections, and aspirations to feel the best you can during this holiday season.

Speaking of the holiday season, we are dedicated to the well-being of all and know that the holidays can cause some stress.  We have a gift for you!  It is the Holiday M.A.G.I.C. Mindset Survival Kit – 5 Steps to Create Peace & Joy this Holiday Season. Click here for your gift and have a wonderful holiday season!

 Reference:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_is_gratitude_so_hard_for_some_people