Gratitude is an emotion of thankfulness we feel when we encounter, acknowledge and appreciate the goodness in our lives, and it is as contagious as a virus, if not more. Lately it seems as though social spaces are cluttered with this word ‘gratitude’ but no substantial way of understanding how to practice it. You can buy a course on udemy and get acquainted to it (I know) but since gratitude is a gift that is freely given I thought I would share what I know.
Most people today confuse being thankful, with being grateful. Being thankful often implies you are acknowledging how pleased you are for something someone has given you/done for you/when someone fulfils a want or need. Gratitude however is expressing appreciation for what one already has, it is simply about noticing that which is already present.
Gratitude is a trait or disposition, which can be developed with regular mindful practice. In all forms, it is associated with happiness-think of gratitude as a tool for increasing well-being. Simple exchanges of expressing gratitude induce multiple beneficial emotions and feed positive states of satisfaction, and encouragement. In literary, philosophic, and religious contexts- gratitude is integral to living a good life in a successful society- integrating gratefulness for our existence is therefore a way of life.
Health benefits of practising gratitude
Cultivating a grateful predisposition improves sleep quality, reduces levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and symptoms of anxiety and depression, building emotional, mental, and physical awareness, enhancing self-love and empathy. Having a gratitude attitude fosters adaptive coping mechanisms, enhancing emotional resilience to handle stress better than the average. The two main sites in the brain that regulate emotions, memory and body functions (like sleep)- the hypothalamus and amegdela -get activated with feelings of gratitude. Gratitude changes neural structures in the brain (science), and since our brain is conditioned to function in a repeated way, by consciously practicing gratitude everyday you can train your brain to selectively attend to positive emotions and thoughts, alleviating anxiety, enhancing overall well-being.
Putting ‘gratitude’ to practice.
Now that I’ve explained it’s benefits, I have a few gratitude exercises for you.
- Write a letter to someone in your life you love and care about expressing gratitude once a week. The letter has to be detailed, and in depth.
- Be grateful to yourself in the mirror as someone else would or has, every morning.
- Keep a gratitude jar, add a note with something you are grateful for today, or a past memory, moment or mammal that made you happy and drunk on the vitality of life. Read them once your jar is full. (If you really like writing, keep a journal and write down three things you are grateful for every evening before bed.)
- You can also commit random acts of kindness for strangers- a smile or a few kind words. If you like somethings about them, don’t keep it to yourself, tell them.
I started with the boldest first, because why not? You could think this is bogus, but, be a scientist, do the experiment, record your results. Don’t dismiss it without giving it a shot. In our basic human condition of our pursuit of happiness, spread gratitude, plant one seed everyday, and watch a forest grow.
Photo courtesy Taabish RayaniThe importance of gratitude
I started my gratitude journal in May 2020, when I began therapy sessions with a psychologist, and psychiatrist. At first I woke up feeling low energy, struggling to leave my bed, feeling completely unmotivated to do anything but mope around and feel sorry for myself. A few weeks later, it’s something that sneaked up on me when one day I woke up feeling full of energy feeling grateful to wake up, in a long time. I knew my seed had fruited. Life is a gift, so acknowledge the goodness in your life, realise the source of gratitude lies outside the self, and slowly you’ll see how abundant it is, and take nothing for granted.
You can also think of gratitude as a boomerang, receiving gratitude is not an expected response to expressing gratitude but it will always return. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s always better to be grateful for all good things, than to be wishful. You’re given 86400 seconds everyday, will you use one to pay gratitude? After all, it’s free, all you have to do is practice.
Written By Taabish Rayani
I was born and bred in Mumbai, but I consider myself a resident of Pangaea. I’m a stick and poke tattoo artist, I like dogs more than humans, and I would rather read an ancient satire by Aristophanes, than watch a Marvel movie (I know, what a classical gyp). I believe life is happy if you are the person your dog thinks you are!
Week 15, April 2021
