Gratitude practices are becoming more familiar in the world of pop psychology and the pursuit of happiness.
Believe me, I know this can feel like a big stretch when you are suffering or in distress and yet there are reasons to give it a try and see how it impacts your life.
There is science behind it.
In the world of positive psychology, the links between gratitude and happiness are well studied. Much of that research demonstrates links between practices of gratitude and subjective experiences of happiness.
The Science and Research on Gratitude and Happiness
When we spend time focusing on what we are grateful for, we are taking steps to overcome our negativity bias. We have evolved to monitor and react to negative stimuli to stay safe. However, this orientation does not serve us as well in our modern world where the true threats are less common. Because of this bias, we need to intentionally focus on the parts of our life that are good and for which we have gratitude. When we do so, we become more likely to notice other positive elements and to be less caught up in our struggles.
This does NOT mean denying that you have real pain or distress.
In fact, often the places we experience gratitude are in the tough spots. When a friend offers a kind ear. When we have a shift in a period of chronic pain. When we notice a rainbow outside the window on a day we are stuck at home.
These little moments are available to all of us and in many cases, impact us most when we are feeling at our worst.
It is often helpful to use the word “and” as a way to acknowledge the current difficulty is present as well as making room to be thankful.
E.g. “I am in pain AND I hear a bird outside my window.” or “I am grieving my friend AND I am savouring this cup of tea.”
How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times
A gratitude journal is one way that you can start to increase your awareness of the positive elements in your life. If you need help getting started, please check out the link below:
Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal
Finally a quote from David Whyte, one of my favourite poets and thinkers.
