Happy Thanksgiving everyone
The importance of Gratitude
As the name suggests, Thanksgiving is a time when our minds turn towards gratitude and giving thanks. But what exactly is gratitude. The 18th century philosopher and economist, Adam Smith, had deemed Gratitude as the Social Glue of economic culture.
In her book, The How of Happiness, American psychologist, Sonja Lyubomirsky lists “Expressing Gratitude” as Happiness Activity No 1. She says most people associate gratitude with saying thanks to someone but gratitude is actually much more - wonder, appreciation, looking at the bright side, fathoming abundance, counting blessings, present-oriented, not taking things for granted, coping and counting blessings.
In an article for the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, Robert Emmons, the world leading researcher on gratitude, explains that there are two components to gratitude. The first is affirmation of goodness. Life is undoubtedly filled with both good and bad moments. “But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our life.”
The second component of Gratitude according to Emmons is figuring out the source of goodness. It is be a humbling experience as we focus not just on our pride in personal accomplishments but acknowledge the dependence on others, even higher powers, that “gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives”
Emmons goes on to explain that the benefits of gratitude span the physical, psychological and social realms. It magnifies positive emotions, blocks negative emotions, makes you more stress resistant and have a higher sense of self-worth. But what is most striking according to Emmons, are the social “relationship-strengthening” benefits. Various studies have demonstrated that people who practice gratitude are more helpful and compassionate towards others. He also urges us to think outside the box when it comes to what is gratitude. We can as Mother Theresa had once said, be grateful for what we can give rather than for what we receive.
Emmons points out that practicing gratitude is not easy as it can mean we feel we are less in control or that we are giving away credit due to us to others. He suggests two simple activities to get started.
A gratitude journal listing just five things once a week.
Count your blessings on a regular basis, maybe once a day
In a 2015 article by psychologist Juliana Brieines for The Greater Good Science Center adds further practises.
Mental Subtraction of Positive Events, that is, not taking things for granted. Consider the positive events in your life and imagine what your life would have been like without them.
A Savoring Walk once a week by yourself, where you “pay close attention to as many positive sights, sounds, smells, or other sensations as you can.”
This Thanksgiving, let us see what the NeuroNav team is grateful for
Hari: I’m constantly grateful to the various people at different points in my life who have supported me in many ways. I’m grateful to God, for my talents and my intelligence which was not something taught or learned during my many years in special education. I’m grateful to everyone at UC Berkeley for providing a supportive environment that helps me pursue my desire for a college education, an aspiration that cannot be taken for granted for people with significant disabilities like me. I’m grateful to my family for their never give up attitude towards me and especially in this time of covid which has been difficult for me. And I’m grateful that I too am able to contribute back to society in whatever small way I can.
Sabrina - This year I am grateful for my family, including my new husband. They have always been such a huge anchoring force in my life, and they have been that and more in these unpredictable times. And while it’s been hard not to see many of them in person, our weekly Zoom calls have become my favorite weekend activity, and one that I hope we will continue even as things find their way back to “normal.”
Emma - I am most grateful for the health of my family, especially my father who works at a hospital as a physician. I am also grateful for my husky who keeps me smiling :)
Nick - Even though I could not have expected how this year has turned out, I am very grateful for the friends and family I hold near and dear to my heart. They have supported me in the ups and downs of this time and I love them very much.
Rachel - I am grateful for new opportunities and the great people in my life.
Katie - I’m grateful for my friends, family, and my health. In a time that could be very isolating (and has been for many), I’ve been able to stay connected (virtually and socially distanced) to the people who I care most about. I think that has really helped me stay sane (ish!) throughout the pandemic.
Full Article here: https://www.neuronav.org/post/the-importance-of-gratitude
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