The pandemic has brought great uncertainty, changed our opportunity to interact with loved ones and has affected millions of jobs. While 2020 has been a trying time, which will likely impact the next few years of our lives, some would suggest it鈥檚 even more important now than ever to be thankful for what you have.
鈥淭here are a lot of studies that show that our thoughts lead first, then our emotions follow,鈥� says W. Steven Saunders, 麻豆原创 associate lecturer of psychology and a licensed psychologist. 鈥淕iven that, establishing positive emotions or wellbeing 鈥� even in the face of difficult things happening in your life 鈥� by practicing gratitude can psychologically shifts your attention to things that are actually going right in your life.鈥�
Understanding the Benefits
Thanksgiving is a time when people typically express their appreciation for their family, friends, or a delicious meal, but the changes and challenges of this year may make it hard to find this spirit.
鈥淲hether you鈥檙e talking to older relatives or younger friends over the holidays, talk with them about if they鈥檝e seen anything good come out of this strange, bizarre year and it might be interesting to see what different generations have to say about that,鈥� says Linda Simmons 鈥�20惭础, aa staff therapist who supports students through the 鈥檚 Counseling and Wellness Services.
鈥淭he most reliable research suggests there is an indirect impact on physical health.鈥� 鈥� Linda Simmons 鈥�20惭础, College of Medicine staff therapist
Regardless, gratitude can be a daily practice that has long-term effects. Over the past decade, many studies on gratitude have shown varying advantages, such as improving sleep and mental health, reducing ailments, and even boosting your immune system.
But the benefits may not happen the way you think.
鈥淭he most reliable research suggests there is an indirect impact on physical health,鈥� says Simmons, who recently earned a master鈥檚 in counselor education from 麻豆原创. 鈥淕ratitude can help you receive the benefits of greater emotional well-being, psychological health, and social health, which can cause people to be more likely to take care of themselves physically and their medical health needs.鈥�
And while there have been mixed results on gratitude鈥檚 ability to influence levels of depression, Saunders notes that positive and negative emotions have a hard time coexisting together.
鈥淲hen you purposely set up a positive emotion, it cascades and helps you feel good more often,鈥� Saunders says.
Authenticity is Key
Some people are naturally predisposed to a more negative outlook, making it harder to find things to be thankful for than others, Simmons says. Even if you鈥檙e a glass-half-full type of person, it may be challenging some days to maintain your gratitude.
鈥淥ne thing we don鈥檛 find very helpful is forced gratitude.鈥� 鈥� Linda Simmons 鈥�20惭础, College of Medicine staff therapist
鈥淥ne thing we don鈥檛 find very helpful is forced gratitude,鈥� Simmons says. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 advise launching into a person for whom gratitude doesn鈥檛 come easy or telling someone to 鈥楯ust look on the bright side.鈥� Oftentimes that actually makes a person feel less positive.鈥�
Instead, take time to truly process whatever you鈥檙e feeling, especially if you鈥檝e lost experiences, people or opportunities in the past year. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone else is to just listen.
鈥淎 lot of negativity is fear-based and we鈥檙e living in an age where there鈥檚 a lot of fear going around,鈥� Saunders says. 鈥淲hat we know about psychology is the more you talk about your feelings and emotions the more they change. So approaching someone with compassion and really listening can really make a difference.鈥�
Once, you鈥檙e ready to start focusing on the positive, Saunders says you should develop a ritual or routine around the value that is meaningful to you.
Grow Your Gratitude
Gratitude is a like a muscle and like any muscle consistent exercise is necessary for growth. One common practice is the 鈥淭he Big Three,鈥� naming or writing a list of three things you鈥檙e grateful for each day. Keeping a gratitude journal can benefit you personally, as well as professionally. A study conducted by 麻豆原创 researchers earlier this year found the habit can lead employees to exhibit less rude behavior and mistreatment of others in the workplace.
Another method is writing a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life. Although gratitude can make a difference even when you keep it to yourself, sharing your appreciating with others can help spread positive feelings and strengthen your relationships.
When giving thanks to a loved one, a new study published in Sage Journals found it鈥檚 best to be specific about how they helped support your needs. It also found that you should avoid pointing out sacrifices an individual has made for you since it diminishes their altruistic motivation for doing so.
鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 have a spiritual or religious belief, you can still practice gratitude in some simple ways every day.鈥� 鈥� W. Steven Saunders, psychology associate lecturer
鈥淲hatever your personal belief system might be, you can incorporate that,鈥� Saunders says. 鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 have a spiritual or religious belief, you can still practice gratitude in some simple ways every day.鈥�
Simmons, who has experience as a Presbyterian minister and a hospital chaplain, says gratitude is an important value and practice in most major world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.
鈥淔or some people, gratitude is spiritual. For other people, it鈥檚 interpersonal. But it鈥檚 outside ourselves in some way, something we didn鈥檛 make happen, cause, create, or earn 鈥� it鈥檚 given to us as a gift,鈥� Simmons says. 鈥淭o me, gratitude is an invitation to say 鈥業 wonder if that鈥檚 the only way we can look at this day, week, month, season or year? Is there a way we can look at not just what we lost or missed, but what we learned, what is new about a circumstance or what brought us closer?鈥� Most of us have never been through a pandemic before, and we don鈥檛 know how to handle it, so however we鈥檝e handled it is OK.鈥�
Students struggling with maintaining their emotional and mental well-being can find support through . 麻豆原创 employees and their dependents can take advantage of the聽, which provides confidential, short-term counseling at no cost.
