Three Ways To Create A Gratitude Practice

November automatically means focusing on gratitude, right?

Well, not always.

This idea can actually be quite triggering for some. For others, this time of year can be anxiety-inducing and/or bring about seasonal depression. As human beings, we have different unique circumstances that can make gratitude practice difficult, especially when functionality is lower than normal.

But…what if practicing gratitude can actually help you?

As someone who suffers from depressive episodes, gratitude practice can feel like marching in thick mud. When these episodes hit, there are several practices that I have to do to limit the damage: eating nourishing food, moving my body, not sleeping too much, meditation, to name a few. Gratitude is something that – when incorporated – helps me move through my episodes more quickly, even if it has an arduous beginning.

In a University of Utah Health blogpost dated November 19, 2021, it states there is “well-studied research” showing that gratitude can change your brain. Dr. Kristin Francis, a psychiatrist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, states that expressing gratitude boosts dopamine and serotonin. These are the neurotransmitters in the brain that – when present – causes us to feel pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness. By practicing gratitude consistently, “we can help these neural pathways in our brain strengthen and ultimately create a permanent grateful, positive nature within ourselves.”

Gratitude practices can be as simple as we need them to be. The most important thing is setting your intention: what do you hope to accomplish through your actions? Remember to center yourself in the present during your practice. Both the destination and the past can deter from your practice. As Edna Mode says “I never look back, dahling; it distracts from the now” (Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles).

Set a daily, every other day, or weekly reminder to practice. Here are a few ideas:

1. WRITE:

• Start a gratitude journal. This can be a notepad, a notebook, or an actual journal for writing about what/who you are grateful for.
• Write a letter/email/text to someone you are grateful for and share specifics.
• Write down an inspirational quote about gratitude.

2. PHOTOGRAPH:

• Take a picture of something/someone you are grateful for. Put your photos into a folder that you can go access when you’re needing a boost.
• You don’t have to be a professional. Your photos can be completely abstract. Only YOU know what makes your heart feel appreciative.

3. DRAW:

• Recreate something/someone you are grateful for. You don’t have to be an artist to do this. I can only draw stick people and sunshine, but the point is to draw something that has meaning to YOU.
• You may find healing + fresh oxygen in a detail, pencil stroke, or color that you recreate on paper.

As you practice, take a moment to inhale slowly, filling your abdomen with oxygen before releasing your breath thoroughly. Intentional breathing assists with intentional action.

I follow @positivelypresent on Instagram, as they have great ideas/reminders for your practice. There is a 30 day gratitude challenge happening now, with a different prompt every day if you need help getting started.

In love + gratitude.
xx

Becky