ASHLAND — Being aware and remembering what you are grateful for can be helpful for promoting overall well-being and resilience, for optimizing health, for maintaining a positive attitude.
It can help you to increase self-esteem, and to be empowered. These benefits apply to all of us.
Gratitude (the flip side of kindness) can be central to engaging in “self-care” especially
when things are rough in your personal life,
when you feel overwhelmed, alone, and discouraged,
when you are desperately trying to hold on to hope and keep moving forward.
Your personal challenges are on top of what is seen in our world. The latter include violence, war, racism, homelessness, and poverty.
Admittedly, one can turn to mental health professionals, medical care providers, be prescribed and take psychoactive medications to be treated for depression and other mental health conditions.
If things become unbearable, you can call 988 or crisis lines. But self-care and healthy social connections are the cornerstone to self-empowerment and finding life worth living, filled with meaning and purpose.
These are options for discovering and acknowledging what one should appreciate.
Gratitude journaling
Gratitude journaling helps you to identify what you are grateful for, to focus on what you “have” and what is going “well” in your life, and to be less negative in your perspective.
You can embrace the benefits of expressing and processing your thoughts and feelings.
You can complete sentence prompts or respond to questions; make lists of what you are grateful for; and write quick notes, bullet points or sentence fragments about gratitude experiences –as part of your daily life, every day.
As examples, possible writing exercises include “list five of your strengths that you are grateful for,” and “list five of your characteristics that you are grateful to have and draw upon when challenged.”
You could write about the tangible and intangible gifts that you have received from God and others, including when overcoming adversity and life challenges.
You could identify opportunities – simple and extensive — that you have taken advantage of, your accomplishments, for which you are grateful.
As an example of a writing exercise: Look back at the last five years – what are you most grateful that you were able to do?
Gratitude prayers & poems
When ready, consider transforming your notes and bullet points, what you have written about in your journal, into prayers and poems. (At some point, you may want to go steps beyond by writing essays, short stories, memoirs, and novels).
What you write to God is for your eyes only, it is a confidential form of communication.
You can ask questions, seek answers, admit to a crisis of faith if that is what is happening. You can write about what you are grateful for, how much
He is central in your life and the direction you are going with decision-making. You can write a prayer that is very brief or elaborate.
It can be as simple as “Thank You for being with me as this day draws to a close. I have made it through another day.”
As for poetry, feel free to explore and write using a variety of poetic forms. Discover what you feel most comfortable with, how you want to express yourself.
Whatever you decide to do – focus on JUST WRITING, sharing your thoughts and feelings freely and openly, without aiming for perfection at the outset.
Gratitude quotes
Engage in a computer search, or ask for assistance if needed, to read quotes about gratitude or thankfulness. Select the ones that most resonate with you, write about what they mean to you, and use them as a foundation for creating poems.
Here are a few examples of quotes that may stimulate your thinking and writing process as you reflect on the essence of gratitude:
o “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” (John F. Kennedy)
o “This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” (Maya Angelou)
o “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” (Albert Schweitzer)
Gratitude jar
Select a jar, wide enough to place your hand inside and pull out notes you have inserted.
Consider decorating the outside of the jar if it is clear with no designs.
Inside the “gratitude jar,” place small sheets or strips of paper that:
o identify what you are grateful for, triggering memories;
o affirmations about who you are or will be when you become well or better;
o quotes about gratitude.
Use your creativity and reflect on what you want to include. What do you want to be able to draw upon when you are having a dark day and want to find light at the end of the tunnel? Who and what do you need and want to remember, to focus on?
Letters or notes
Start by writing a list of three-to-five individuals who you are especially grateful for, who made a major difference in your life, in the past or now.
Write a quick note of appreciation to one or all of them, just a couple of lines, for your eyes only.
Then take the plunge and write a letter or note in a designed card. Express your gratitude to the individual, reflecting on what you experienced and felt, how significant he/she was and/or is in your life.
The individual may be a family member, friend, colleague, professional, mentor, teacher. This is meant to be in written form, a relatively permanent expression of your gratitude, something that the recipient can refer to more than once.
Gratitude song play list
Create a list of songs that focus on being thankful or grateful, ones that resonate with you. Read and listen to the lyrics, absorb the accompanying music. Consider looking for YouTube videos that spotlight the songs.
Do not limit yourself to selecting only one music type such as country music, soft rock, or pop; rather, spread your wings and explore a range of options when developing your song play list.
Check out songs and music from different decades, those that have captured the hearts of multiple generations. Write about how the words and music make you feel, what messages you walk away with in terms of capturing the essence of gratitude.
Gratitude nature walks or excursions
When weather permits, go on a walk – by yourself, with your canine companion, a friend or family member – and observe the beauty of nature. You can get in touch with feelings of gratitude by:
o observing vibrant colors associated with fall seasonal changes;
o looking at the color and clarity of the sky, the absence/presence of sunshine and cotton-candy-like clouds;
o picking up dry though colorful leaves, placing them in a pile, and jumping in it;
o smelling and feeling the cool, crisp air around you;
o listening to the sounds of nature, including the rustling, crunching noise as you walk through pathways covered with leaves;
o even tasting salty rain drops, if your walk is on a hazy, not-too-rainy day.
Or you can appreciate the beauty of nature, a gift from God, by taking an excursion in a car.
In short, observe and later write about what you see, touch, smell, hear, and/or taste. What does the beauty of nature mean to you, how does it make you feel? Which aspect are you most grateful for?
Closing comments
Gratitude can optimize overall wellbeing, physical and mental health. Rediscovering and embracing what you are grateful for can renew a sense of hope and joy.
It makes a difference to be aware of and acknowledge what you are grateful for, even the small things or one thing on a dark, overwhelming day. This piece has focused on writing; however, I encourage you to consider expressing your thoughts and feelings using other additional forms of creative expressions.
Diana Spore, PhD, is a freelance writer, social gerontologist, educator/researcher, and expert on mental health and aging.