The power of gratitude

What is gratitude? At its core, it’s a state of thankfulness: recognizing the good in our lives and where that good comes from, much of it outside us and beyond our control. It turns our attention from what’s missing to what’s here.

At a recent Sunday service, we talked about gratitude as more than a passing feeling. It can be a way of living. Here’s some of what we shared, and some simple ways to practice it.

What gratitude is

Gratitude, as Erin Wiley, a clinical therapist, describes it, is “a positive state of mind evoked by focusing on and appreciating the good in one’s life.” It has two parts:

1. Noticing the good in your life on purpose.
2. Recognizing that much of it comes from outside yourself: someone’s kindness, the beauty of nature, even good health.

It exists on a spectrum. At one end, it’s a short-term feeling, like the joy of receiving a gift. At the other, it’s a way of life, where every moment is seen as a gift rather than a burden.

What the research says

Some research links gratitude with benefits like these:

• Fewer physical complaints.
• Better sleep, and feeling more refreshed on waking.
• Exercising more and looking after your health.
• More optimism and joy, and more alertness and energy.
• Coping better with stress and hard times.
• Closer relationships with others.
• More generosity, compassion and forgiveness.
• Less loneliness.

In one study by Dr. Robert Emmons and Dr. Michael McCullough, people who wrote weekly gratitude lists reported more life satisfaction and more optimism than people who wrote about annoyances or neutral events. They also reported fewer physical complaints and more exercise.

Why it helps

1. It keeps us in the present. Gratitude helps us notice the good things in life instead of getting used to them and taking them for granted.
2. It crowds out envy and resentment. It’s hard to feel envy, resentment or regret while you’re focused on what you have rather than what you lack.
3. It changes how we see hard times. Gratitude gives us another way to look at a challenge, as something we can learn and grow from.
4. It reminds us we matter. Noticing the kindness and support of others reminds us that we are valued.

Seven ways to practice gratitude

1. Keep a gratitude journal. Write down a few things you’re grateful for each day. Small things count, like a kind word or a sunny morning.
2. Say it out loud. Read your journal entries aloud, or turn them into daily affirmations. Hearing the words helps you feel them.
3. Thank people. Write a letter of thanks, or tell someone in person what you appreciate about them.
4. Catch your complaints. When you’re about to complain, pause and look for a silver lining. With practice, it gets easier.
5. Put up reminders. Keep photos, quotes or keepsakes around you that make you feel thankful.
6. Give back. Volunteer your time, donate to a cause, or do something kind for a stranger.
7. Notice the small things. A warm cup of tea, the sound of birdsong: the simplest pleasures are often the easiest to be grateful for.

Living with gratitude

What might change in your life if you began each day by noticing the good? Could you hold on to gratitude even when life is hard?

Start small. Choose one practice and stick with it this week, and notice what shifts in how you see things and how you treat the people around you. Share your reflections below.