Gratitude at Christmas time is a great way to maintain physical and mental health. A 2008 study found gratitude boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin and activates the brain stem to produce dopamine, which is the brain’s pleasure chemical. The more we think positive, grateful thoughts, the healthier and happier we feel.
Practicing daily gratitude and positive thinking can change your brain and life, but reprogramming the brain for a more positive outlook takes practice. The area of the brain that controls emotions and behavior also controls higher-order thinking skills like focus and attention. A person’s ability to analyze information keeps the brain happy through positive thinking and gratitude. Gratitude results in more creative thinking, increased mental productivity, and a wider attention span. Negativity on the other hand, leads the brain (and your outlook) to be more negative.
If you haven’t practiced gratitude before, this season is a great time to start. During the holidays when lives are busy and we forget what is important, taking 5 minutes every day to practice gratitude will help you slow down, become more aware of your surroundings, and be more in the moment. The holiday season is the perfect time to give thanks for family, friends, work, accomplishments, and blessings.
Christmas is a good time to reflect about the good things that happened this past year and be thankful for upcoming opportunities in the new year. For those who may have struggled with mental health, this is a good time to be grateful for getting through the year and be hopeful for the upcoming year. If it’s been a difficult year for you, maybe experienced health or money issues, or suffered the loss of a person or job, this might be a good opportunity to be grateful for how strong you are and that you survived!
When I first started practicing gratitude, I would take a couple of minutes each morning to think about three things I was “grateful” for. With early attempts, I identified “materialistic” things I was grateful for, but as time progressed, I identified more “non-materialist” things like waking up in the morning, love, friendships, opportunities, achievements, peace, silence, and other things in my life and in the world. You can also practice gratitude by mentally thanking someone for something nice they did for you.
Practicing gratitude is not about making a list of the things you are grateful for, but showing others how grateful you are for having them in your life. Writing a note, email, text, or calling someone expressing your appreciation for them is a great way to make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with that person.
Keeping a gratitude journal and jotting down blessings you are thankful for is another way to practice gratitude. If journaling is too much of a commitment, pick one day each week to sit down and write about your blessings, reflecting on something that went “right” that you are grateful for and the good feelings you experienced.
Mindful meditation is a good way to focus on the present moment without judgement. Practice being grateful for things like the warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze of the wind, the sounds of the rain, birds, music, the sounds of children playing, or the people we love. Prayer is another wonderful way to experience gratitude by thanking God for our many blessings. Commit to trying to practice gratitude this upcoming year and you will notice a positive difference in your well-being.
References:
- www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/gratitude-and-the-brain-what-is-happening
- www.thecurlysunshine.com/why-christmas-gratitude-is-important/How To be a More Grateful Person.
