Time To Be Thankful

 Lake Tekapo

Christmas is just a few sleeps away and normally at this time of the year many of us are reflecting on the people and experiences that we are thankful for. 

However we also need to be grateful to ourselves. This is fairly uncommon since we are more comfortable expressing gratefulness to others. Research shows that taking the time to thank ourselves  for the qualities that have carried us through life is healthy and important. Even if doing so seems egotistical and can make one feel awkward.

Psychologists say that self gratititude does not come naturally since the human brain has evolved to look for problems as a way of staying safe since everyday life requires an awareness of immediate dangers. Our ancestors who sat down and relaxed were more likely to be eaten by lions. Those who dwelled on where the dangers may be were more likely to stay alive.

We also need to teach this skill to our children too as research shows that low self esteem in children and teens are linked to alcohol use, drunk driving and self harm (Gartland et al, 2019).

So especially during this year end holiday season (and beyond), spend at least 5 minutes a day looking at yourself with compassion and thanking yourself.

Acknowlegde your own positive qualities, efforts and resilience. Recognize your achivements, forgive your own mistakes, appreciate your own growth and consciously give yourself credit for who you are and what you do.

Reference

Gartland D, Riggs E, Muyeen S et al (2019). What factors Are Associated With Resilient Outcomes In Children Exposed To Social Adversity? A Systematic Review. BMJ Open. 9: e024870. DOI: 10.1136/bmcopen-2018-024870

Be Grateful

Picture from Wall Decor Plus More

It's the last Sunday of the year and also my last post for 2024. Where did 2024 go? I kept asking myself this question this past month as the year seemed to have zoomed by so quickly.

It's also the time of the year when it is customary to be a little kinder and do nice things for others like donating and giving presents.

I feel it is also a good time to dwell on things that we are grafeful for. When we shift our attitudes to focus on being grateful and giving thanks (instead of harping on things that upset us), it has a direct link to our wellbeing.

The following study had researchers who recruited a group of participants and asked half to take time weekly to write a few sentences about things that they were grateful for that week (Emmons and McCullough, 2003). The other half of the participants wrote about their irritationa and complaints.

After 10 weeks, the group that centered on gratitude felt more optimistic about life than the other group. 

Surprisingly, the group that was grateful saw physical changes as well. They were more active as they exercised more and made less visits to the doctor than the group that focused on the negative aspects of life.

There was another study by Toepfer et al (2012) that tested the effects of writing letters of gratitute to other people. The results clearly showed that those that took time to say thank you in writing made people happier, more satisfied with life and had less symptoms of depression.

Take some time to feel grateful for all the little and big blessings in your life. Write them down too since this active approach to gratitude can have tangible and lasting effects on our mental well being.

A big thank you for following and reading my posts weekly.

References

Emmons RA and McCullough ME (2003). Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation Of Gratitude And Subjective Well-being In Daily Life. J Personality Social Psych. 84(2): 377-389. DOI:10.1037/00223514.84.377

Toepfer SM, Cichy K and Peters P (2012). Letters Of Gratitute: Further Evidence For Author Benefits. J Happiness Stud. 13: 187-201. DOI: 10.1007/s10902-011-9257-7