Gratitude - why is it so important?

​With so much change and uncertainty in the world at the moment, it is easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset, focussing on what we are missing and don’t have (like the ability to socalise with friends or play sport). Our brains are wired to look for the threats and dangers in any given situation, making it easy to catastrophise and imagine worst case scenarios. With being in isolation at the moment, we all have a lot more time to think, and this can exacerbate this phenomenon.
So something that can help to break the downward spiral of your thoughts is gratitude. Flipping the narrative and thinking about what you do have, what you are grateful for, and what opportunities you have been able to have, that you would not if the world had continued as ‘normal’.
Being grateful is something that is usually easier said than done. Our thoughts will naturally turn to the negative, so when you are starting out, it can be tricky to find what you are grateful for. Like anything, it takes practice, and no-one is a natural the first time around!
There are so many strategies that you can implement to help you show gratitude. Keep it simple and find what works for you. This may be a hard task, so if you are finding it difficult, start small and make it easier on yourself.

1. Write it out. Make a small list of 3-5 things you are grateful for each day. Pick a time that works for you, first thing in the morning or just before bed, and write down what you are thankful to have in your life. Try to change it up a bit though, writing the same things everyday doesn’t fire your brain in the same way as if you are always thinking of new things, or putting a different spin on what you are grateful for. You could also try writing letters to those who you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter if you don’t send them (although that could be a nice thing to do!), even just writing the letters can give your brain a positive boost.
2. Gifts. These don’t need to be large or extravagant, just a token of your appreciation of what others do for you. Gift giving is an extremely positive event in your brain, and it’s always nice to receive something unexpected too! And it doesn’t need to be a physical gift either. Giving your time to someone, whether it is to help them with a task, or just be with them and make a connection, can be a very powerful way to show how thankful you are to have them in your life.
3. Saying thank you! Actually sincerely saying thank you to those who help you. The trick here is to be genuine. It doesn’t need to be a big extravagant show, just a simple ‘Thanks for doing this, it really helps me’. This one has an added benefit for the person receiving the thankyou too. Workers who are regularly thanked for doing their jobs well are up to 50% more productive than those who are not.

 
Gratitude is more than just being optimistic or looking on the bright side. It is looking at what you have worked hard for, what you have achieved, how much you have in your life. Even if at first you think there is nothing, when you start to look a little deeper there is usually much more than you expect. It is easy to get caught up in the negatives, what you don’t have and what you can’t do, that it can be tricky to appreciate what you can do. Be thankful for what is in your life right now, even if it is a bit challenging, and look forward to everything coming your way in the future. Try it out, if nothing else your brain will thank you for it!