There is a great deal of research that supports the effectiveness of expressing gratitude. Gratitude has been shown to help you make friends. One study found that if you thank someone, even an acquaintance, they’re more likely to seek a deeper relationship with you. Gratitude has even been shown to fix your physical health. People who show gratitude report less aches and pains and a general feeling of better health. Grateful people also enjoy a higher rate of well-being and happiness and suffer from less symptoms of depression.
We know gratitude enhances our feelings of empathy, and those who show gratitude are more likely to be more forgiving and more likely to behave in a more socially sensitive manner. Gratitude has even been shown to help people sleep better. People who are grateful and appreciate other people’s achievements are more able to appreciate their own achievements.
There’s several options for how you can engage with being aware and connected to your gratitude. One powerful method is through writing. When writing on your gratitude, do your best not to be too cognitive about it. Try not to censor yourself. Just let yourself feel what you’re grateful for. Think of the big things and the small things. Add in your relationships. Maybe material goods, personal talents, people, opportunities, or anything that you feel deeply grateful for.
When you’ve finished, take a moment to pause and notice how you feel when you immerse yourself into what you’re grateful for.
Click below to learn more about gratitude writing and download your guide.
Starr’s Virtual Trauma & Resilience Conference will feature self-care sessions, in addition to many other topics. Register below!
More related resources from Starr Commonwealth
I have been thinking about ACEs lately. Not the 4-of-a-kind, win-big-in-poker aces, but those pesky Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs. As the opioid epidemic in our communities brings death and misery to our families, we have amassed resources in response. Adult recovery agencies and hospitals provide medical withdrawal and ongoing support for recovery. Law enforcement, hospital…
5 Reasons for Teachers to Co-Regulate Emotions (and How to Start from Day One) We cannot expect children who are already stressed and activated to be able to regulate on their own. They need our help. When you help a child regulate, rather than expecting them to regulate on their own, it is called co-regulation….
Summary: Importance of Co-Regulation Experiences in early life set the stage for a child’s ability to notice and regulate emotions and behavior. During early childhood, children’s brains continue to develop rapidly, which is closely linked to their capacity for self-awareness and regulation. Infants and toddlers who receive predictable, consistent, and nurturing caregiving develop brain connections…
Do educators and schools have an informed role to play in the lives of students struggling with unprocessed traumatic memories other than providing cognitive learning experiences? Although schools are not mental health facilities and teachers are not therapists, teaching today’s students requires alternative strategies and skills compared to what worked a generation ago. Download article…
Update:Â In response to the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza, Starr Commonwealth has chosen to re-publish this article from January of 2021, previously updated February 25, 2022. Please note that this conflict and region have deep historic, cultural, and religious roots that can have implications on a child’s sense of safety, belonging, and wellbeing….
Children with a history of traumatic experiences exhibit greater oppositional defiant behaviors than children without exposure to trauma. This is most likely the result of the negative physiological impact trauma has on core regulatory systems, compromising a child’s ability to regulate and process sensory inputs. Changes in the body’s critical stress response system prevent the…