HOW TO USE GRATITUDE TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

Gratitude seems to be one of those buzzwords floating around these days with increasing popularity. Whether you actively practice expressing gratitude, have tried a few writing prompts in a gratitude journal, or roll your eyes at the coffee mugs or wall hangings with reminders to be thankful when you’re out shopping, the truth is that expressing gratitude has some major benefits.

Gratitude has an inherent prosocial quality to it — just think of when you’re out and about. Basic politeness can go a long way in how your errands may go and saying “thank you” when someone holds open a door, helps you out with something, or wishes you a nice day can make both parties feel good. On the other hand, if you do something for another and they don’t express gratitude, that can sting and may impact the way you feel or behave afterwards for a while.

Research shows that those who express gratitude enjoy improved health, sleep, empathy, mental health, and reduced rates of aggression as well (Morin 2014, Forbes).

It can be easy to notice the things you’re grateful for when you’re feeling the warm fuzzies and all is well in your world. This is actually true for a lot of coping skills or self-care habits. The key, however, is being able to do these things when we aren’t feeling so great. This is when these tools, like expressing gratitude, can really help.

When you’re really feeling down, depressed or overwhelmed, it can feel like nothing is going right. And when we think nothing is going right, it can be tough to shift your mindset out of that headspace.

Here are a few ideas on how to cultivate gratitude even when it feels like there isn’t much for which we can be grateful in the moment:

1. Start with the basics. Look around you. Are you in a warm, dry space? Do you have electricity and running water? Food? These questions aren’t meant to minimize or deny your problems or bad mood, but getting down to the basics can really be a great jumping off point to begin to notice the things that are actually going right that you didn’t notice or may have taken for granted. Once you begin to express gratitude for these types of things, it becomes easier to notice other things and you can really ramp up from there. Soon enough, you’ll have a decent list of things to be grateful for, and your mood may lift.

2. Create a regular habit. This can be as simple as a daily list of 3 items that you write down either in the morning or in the evening for which you’re thankful. Experiment to see which time of day works better for you. Maybe doing so in the morning is a good way to start your day on a positive note. For others, writing a gratitude list at the end of a long or stressful day is more helpful to change your mood before going to sleep.

3. Look to who’s around you. If you’ve already tried the above, you’ve gotten bored of the same routine, or find that the same items are showing up on your list over and over, try focusing on people in your life and find a way to express what they mean to you. You could text, email, or write a card to them if telling them face-to-face isn’t your thing, and the benefit is they’ll have something to keep that they can refer back to that will bring a smile to their face as well.

These are just a few tips of how to implement a gratitude practice to help shift your perspective and improve your mood. It doesn’t take much time or energy to get started, and just a few moments a day can really help.