Practicing gratitude: Light up your brain!

Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling in a slump? I know I have, and it can set the tone for the rest of the day unless I choose to have it be different. Gratitude is a choice and an element of healthy self-care that can change your health trajectory.

We are entering into the holiday season—a time meant for celebration, happiness, joy, and thanksgiving. However, for many, it may be the exact opposite. It may be a time of sad memories, anxiety, or depression, or simply feeling overwhelmed with busyness or loneliness. However, there is something we can do to help turn the tables and get unstuck from that place.

Research shows that practicing gratitude is good for our entire being—spirit, soul, and body.

Now, some people are just happy and upbeat all the time, and being thankful comes easy. For others of us who tend to see the glass as half empty instead of half full, it’s a work in progress.

Cultivating gratitude takes effort and is a skill that is developed over time with practice and self-discipline. Psalm 118:24 (NLT) says, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Notice the word “will.” To will something is to make a conscious choice, or to make up our mind to do something future-tense.

Gratitude and anxiety, depression, and stress

Studies show there is a correlation between expressing gratitude for things in your life—whether past or present—and overall happiness and health and wellbeing. In fact, being grateful lights up centers in your brain like lighting up a Christmas tree: specifically, the limbic system, the prefrontal cortex, and the hypothalamus. These are areas in the brain that are responsible for positive emotions, memory, and the release of neurotransmitters.

Now this last one is very interesting. It not only provides hope for people battling anxiety or depression but shows the wisdom and love of God for us and the truthfulness of His Word when we apply it. Let’s look at this.

One cause of anxiety and depression is low levels of two neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine. Anxiety is related to stress and the release of the hormone cortisol. There are a vast array of pharmaceutical and herbal medications and supplements to treat these. But many people don’t like taking pills because of the side effects, cost, hassle of taking, etc. They also may find that while there has been some improvement, it’s not to the level they desire for quality of life.

Proverbs 4:20-22 tells us that God’s word is health and medicine to our whole body. And in His word, He repeatedly encourages us to be grateful and thankful. Psalm 100:4 (NIV) tells us to: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” And Phil 4:8 (Ampl) tells us, “If there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things.” 1 Thes 5:18 (TLB) directs us, “No matter what happens, always be thankful.” And Prov 17:2 (Ampl) lets us know that “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing.”

Isn’t that amazing?! God, the creator of your brain, designed a system and put it into place that naturally combats anxiety, depression, and stress when activated! Simply practicing gratitude on a consistent basis down-regulates cortisol production and increases serotonin and dopamine, acting as a natural anti-anxiety and anti-depressant.

Other health benefits of gratitude include:

• A stronger immune system
• Better sleep
• Increased optimism
• Higher self-esteem
• More vitality and energy
• Reduced pain and physical discomforts
• Lower blood pressure
• Greater resiliency
• Better relationships with others

Getting started

Expressing gratitude is a powerful tool in your healthcare toolbox that has no negative side effects, costs you nothing but time, and is simple and sustainable to do. Here are a few suggestions on how to get started yourself or with your family.

1.  Make it a game with your children. Have them write down as many things as they can think of that they are grateful for and then have them share their lists. Or have them draw a picture or make a picture collage depicting what they are thankful for.

2. When you sit down to dinner and before you eat, go around the table and have everyone say one thing they are thankful for.

3. Write a secret love note to your children or your spouse with something you are thankful for about them and leave it on their pillow, or put it in their lunchbox, or hide it in a drawer for them to find.

4. Write your own praise psalm to God and sing it to Him.

5. Set time aside to read and meditate on some of the attributes of God and then thank Him for how some of those attributes have been meaningful for you.

6. Keep a gratitude journal. Think about things present and past. When we look back and see the good in something that was painful, it opens the door for healing.

7. Show someone in your life gratitude and appreciation for who they are, something they did or said, or what they mean (or meant) to you. It’s such a simple and yet very powerful thing to do. Make a phone call, write a note, take someone to lunch or coffee…do something personal.

If you would like more information or you need help with developing a lifestyle of gratitude, I’d love to speak with you! Contact me for a free 30-minute discovery session to explore how we might work together!

References:

Neuroscience of gratitude

Your brain when you give and practice gratitude

Giving thanks can make you happier