The Power of Gratitude

By Claire Brackenbury | March 30 2021 |

Have you taken a moment to reflect on something you are grateful for today? It sounds like such a simple task, yet research has shown that gratitude is crucial to our mental health and well-being. Harvard performed an experiment where one group of people was told to write about what they were thankful for during 10 weeks, while another group was told to write about the things that bothered them for the same duration. The results? You guessed it! The “Grateful Group” reported more optimism and felt better about their lives after their 10-week writing task. They were even found to exercise more often than the group writing about daily irritations. Who knew that gratitude could be linked to not only improved mental health, but also better physical health?

How can you start practicing gratitude?

Practicing gratitude does not have to be a daunting commitment. In fact, even if you take as little as two minutes a day for some positive reflection, you can reap the benefits! Neil Pasricha, an international bestselling author and graduate of Queen’s University, has established a super simple way to “win the day.” It’s called” The Two-Minute Morning. This is a fill-in-the-blanks activity where you write down three main points to start your day on the right foot. Each prompt plays a role in improving your well-being. A great way to start is by doing the Two-Minute Morning exercise for a week or two and see if your mood and perspective becomes more positive. It is an exercise that many people find very helpful. The three prompts include:

I will let go of___________ ~ This stimulates the act of letting go of unwanted thoughts or feelings; having less regret has been shown to make us happier!
I am grateful for__________ ~ This prompt reminds us to notice the positives in our lives. The more specific you are, the better. Simply writing “Family” or “Friends” is great, but exact moments or feelings are best. For example, you could write: “I am grateful for that adorable dog that ran up to me today, tail wagging, ready for a cuddle,” or “I am grateful for the gorgeous colours of the sunset that brought me a sense of calm and inner peace.”
I will focus on___________ ~ Goal-setting can help us with productivity, but endless to-do lists can be overwhelming. Try to choose 1-3 objectives or projects to focus on to have some structure and direction for your day.

Gratitude journaling can be beneficial to your overall well-being, and the great thing is, it doesn’t need to take long! Whether it is doing the Two-Minute morning exercise, or simply jotting down a few events or people that made you happy before you go to bed, gratitude is something we can all practice to enhance our happiness.

Check out the 30-day Gratitude Challenge sheet attached with the article. It is filled with prompts to fill out each day. Just think of how nice it will be to look back on all of the moments, people and things you were grateful for during the month! Gratitude journaling is a great way to keep your spirits up during the pandemic- so why not give it a try? Happy Journaling!