With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s a great time to take a look at gratitude—what it is and how it can help us get more out of life.
What is gratitude?
- Gratitude is a way of looking at the world; looking for and expressing thankfulness for the good.
- We can choose gratitude in any situation or circumstance.
- Gratitude is a coping skill that can be practiced and developed.
- Gratitude can improve happiness.
- It can help us be more resilient in the face of hard times.
- It may help us stay healthier and recover from illness sooner.
- Gratitude has the potential to change our lives for the better.
- It is an expression of thankfulness for a gift given by another person.
- It is a sense of contentment for our circumstances in life.
- Being grateful doesn’t ignore or negate sadness and pain, but instead being consumed by them, making the choice to notice the things that are right.
- Gratitude can help get through a bad situation and realize that even if nothing changes, there is still a lot of goodness in life.
- We can have thoughts of gratitude, even when we are not feeling grateful.
- Gratitude helps us to better weather life’s storms—coping better with temporary and permanent situations.
- Scientists have found that focusing on what you are grateful for releases the feel good hormones of dopamine and serotonin into your body.
- Having a grateful mindset may become easier with practice. Searching for something to be grateful for can make specific neurons in your brain more efficient–making it easier to feel grateful over time.
