“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson
In recent years, the act of recognizing and expressing gratitude has been linked to many improved physical, psychological, and social health benefits for both healthcare providers and patients. These benefits include decreased stress levels, lowered blood pressure, better sleep quality, stronger immune systems, and increased feelings of joy, happiness, forgiveness, and compassion.
Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading scientific expert on gratitude, sees the practice of gratitude as having two components:
✔ Affirming the goodness in our lives
✔ Exploring where that goodness comes from
✔ Spend at least 15 minutes writing about the things for which you are grateful. Writing at night may be easier so you can reflect on events from the day. Set an alarm on your watch, calendar, or smartphone to remind you to journal once or twice per week. Try to integrate journaling into your routine, but also write down joyful experiences as they happen so that you don’t forget them.
✔ Begin by writing about basic material things you are grateful for—such as having a home, a warm bed, food, etc. Then, shift focus to people, places, experiences, and situations that bring you joy and happiness.
✔ Avoid repeating the same entries. As time passes, this will make journaling more challenging, but challenging yourself in this way will allow your awareness and sense of gratitude to flourish.
✔ Instead of simply listing good people and things in your life, reflect deeply on how these people and things bring you joy and what your life would be like without them.
✔ Try to find something to appreciate in the people and things you don’t like. Focusing only on the goodness will shift your perceptions and bring you more happiness.
✔ Be grateful for yourself and your abilities. Appreciate all that your body and mind can do—whether it’s walking, talking, reading, dancing, swimming, or scaling a mountain.
✔ Get creative! Gratitude journals don’t have to be full of lists and words. Fill yours with keepsakes of your favorite moments—concert ticket stubs, restaurant menus, photos, drawings, or collages—to express your joy.
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