I hit a really rough patch in my life when I was about 30. I was out of work, had been in a bad relationship for several years, and things with family members were really strained. I felt alone and scared. I went to see an old teacher who told me to “keep joy up front.” I didn’t understand what he meant at first, but I used that as a mantra. I decided to focus on what I did have – a wonderful home, an amazing dog, and my health.
Within a few months, I secured a job, returned to school, and reconnected with my parents. Gratitude and seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty became my way of life, and I’ve never looked back. If you know my story, you’re aware that I’ve faced some very difficult times and have had to rebuild my life more than once since then. It’s not that I don’t see or feel the pain, but I don’t ignore the love and beauty that still exists around me, either.
I thought about that as I listened to the Mel Robbins Podcast this week, “The Surprising Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Simple Gratitude Practice.” In it, she cites 3 scientific studies that show how a gratitude practice can strengthen resilience and physical health.
She spoke with Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, who talked about gratitude as a way of cognitive reframing, or rewiring your brain. She suggests trying one or all of these exercises:
The Unsent Letter (10 minutes, once a week)
The first idea is to write one gratitude letter each week to someone you know. The letter tells the recipient about a specific thing that they said or did and how it helped you. Then tell them how you are doing now and how you remember their efforts. That’s it. You don’t actually even have to send it! Dr. Joel Wong did a study of 300 Indiana University students using this practice. He showed that not only did writing such a letter help the students while they were doing the exercise, but it still helped them 12 weeks later.
The 3 Minute Night Journal (3 minutes, before bed each night)
Dr. Laura Redwine at the University of California in San Diego had people keep a short gratitude journal that they used after they got into bed. Journaling helped them settle their minds and feel calmer as they went to sleep. That led to their being less depressed, less fatigued, having less systemic inflammation, and facilitated heart health.
The Gratitude and Kindness Study (1 minute when you wake up each morning)
In this study, Dr. Tara Stewart broke out 3 groups of 40 people each – one was a control group, the second group was asked to perform small acts of kindness each day, and the third was asked to keep a short-term journal about their gratitude. The kindness group showed improvement, but not as much as the gratitude group.
Why does all of this work? When we are stressed out, we tend to focus on the negative. Gratitude rewires the brain to focus on sticky positivity. I love that concept!
So here’s to cultivating some sticky positivity in your life. Have a great week.