This Is Your Brain on Gratitude

Gratitude is one of those things we all pay lip service to. When someone talks about gratitude we nod reverently and extol upon its virtues. But to practice gratitude takes work, humility, and persistence. It isn’t easy, so here in the US we’ve collectively shoved it into late November where it’s often skipped over between Halloween and Christmas.

On its surface, the practice of gratitude seems counter-intuitive. We live in an increasingly volatile time and if something isn’t done right now then we are all headed to catastrophe. Or so the news reports claim. If that’s the environment we live in it’s no wonder everyone’s so anxious. If the default state of our lives is ‘everything is falling apart’ then the choices are pull it all together, or let it all come crashing down.

In reality, pausing to reflect on the good is integral. Recognizing what we can appreciate doesn’t negate the bad, but we tend to amplify what we don’t like and the good is ignored. Reactivity is action based on (usually negative) emotion; objectivity is taking a balanced view and acting where it’s needed. How do I know gratitude helps us achieve this? Because of how our body responds to gratitude.

The Science and Benefits Behind Gratefulness

Mind over matter is a platitude that is as much touted as it is maligned, depending on how we feel in the moment. It’s either a motivational cry to keep pushing, or denigrated as magical thinking. There’s nothing magical about it, however. This white paper from Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center goes into a detailed explanation of the measurable benefits of gratitude:

1.       Better heart health.

2.       A greater likelihood to engage in healthier activities.

3.       More willing to seek help.

4.       Sleep better.

You’ll notice that many of these are positive changes to lifestyle. Gratitude puts us in the right mindset to make appropriate choices for our (and others’) benefit. The result is overall better mental and physical health because we are actively adjusting our environment to something more positive.

Of particular note is how gratitude helps people at risk of coronary disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Studies found that improved sleep, adherence to heart-healthy activities and overall reductions in inflammation and blood vessel function reduced the risk of heart disease as well as improved recovery rates after surgery.

Research into the physical effects of gratitude is still in the beginning stages, but they are learning more every day. Its wide-ranging positive effects have been found to improve chronic illness, control blood sugar, prevent kidney disease and reduce the risk of cancer.

In addition to the physical benefits, there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that gratefulness has a positive effect on many other measures of wellbeing:

1.       Higher optimism

2.       Less burnout

3.       Greater overall happiness

4.       Reducing unnecessary consumption

It’s obvious that recognizing the good in life makes us more positive, but the practice of gratitude – defined as consistent appreciation of the good in life – protects against the consequences of negativity we’re surrounded with. In another article (What’s the Point? 10/02/22), I wrote about how burnout is an existential problem facing today’s population. The formula I gave to combat burnout was Eliminate > Reduce > Realign. Part of realignment requires introspection on what’s important. Gratitude for the existence of these things would further shore us up against chronic stress and keep us optimistic.

Those in the field of mental health have been employing gratefulness training for some time. This is because it has been found to be an effective tool in the treatment of many psychological struggles. For instance:

1.       Gratitude is a motivator for self-improvement.

2.       Evidence shows it helps with drug and alcohol recovery.

3.       Gratitude may help trauma survivors cope.

This shows that part of what gratitude achieves is clearing out negative space to allow for the good. Those consumptive, burdening negative mindsets take away energy. On the other hand, gratitude is a nourishing practice that provides energy. This is further shown in how younger people who engage in gratitude actually perform better scholastically.

Aside from the personal benefits of gratitude, it’s clear that consistent practice has a net positive effect on society. People and communities which employ gratefulness show more prosocial behavior, increases the formation of relationships and strengthens bonds, enhances workplace culture, etc.

So Why Don’t We Do It?

It is important to note that studies also show short-term gratitude improves conditions over the short term, or not at all. This reveals two things; one, that gratitude has to be a choice and, two, that it should be a foundational change to lifestyle and not simply medicinal.

That is easier said than done. Humans appear to have been built with a Negativity Bias, likely because it was more beneficial to avoid negative situations than pursue positive ones. Unfortunately, negativity bias forces us to pay more attention to negative circumstances and weigh them more heavily than they deserve. When we view the world as generally more negative and give negative data more weight, we make decisions based on that information. In short, we have a tendency to build our lives around the bad rather than the good.

As a result, the proliferation and weaponization of negativity has become a business model. If you’ve ever wondered why the news is always bad, it’s because we appear to be hard-wired to react to it. Negative consequences like bad grades or poor work reviews capitalize on our bias.

Shifting outside of a negative bias takes insight and effort, often without any immediate benefits. The practice of gratitude requires time, patience and commitment. When our days are inundated with negativity, mustering the energy and faith in gratitude can seem like too great an ask. But as all the data above shows, the juice is well worth the squeeze.

How To Practice Gratitude

There are any number of ways to practice gratitude. Some of them are quiet and personal, some are social. Whatever the chosen practice, the most important factor is consistency. Only when gratitude is a habit can we benefit the most from it. Below are some examples of a gratitude practice. Pick what you like, mix and match, but try to spend even a few moments every day consciously being grateful.

·         Start a gratefulness journal.

·         Make your morning coffee/tea quiet gratitude time.

·         Carve out a few moments for gratefulness meditation.

·         Have a gratefulness mantra, use it several times a day.

·         Write a letter or spend time with someone you’re grateful for. Tell them you’re grateful, and why.

·         Identify three good things in your day, and what caused them.

·         Imagine what life would be like if some positive event had not occurred.

·         Leave yourself reminders to be grateful.

·         Be present in your senses; appreciate what you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

·         Ask yourself three questions. “What have I given?” “What have I received?” “What have I caused?”

·         Share gratitude with others.

·         Ask for a challenge will improve you or your situation.

·         Reduce negative noise, include more positive content.

References:

Allen, S. (2018). (rep.). The Science of Gratitude. Retrieved November 2022, from https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf.

Cherry, K. (2022, September 14). What is the negativity bias? Verywell Mind. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-bias-4589618#:~:text=Research%20has%20shown%20that%20across,make%20sense%20of%20the%20world.&text=Pay%20more%20attention%20to%20negative%20events%20than%20positive%20ones.

Rozin, P., & Royzman, E. B. (2001). Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(4), 296–320. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0504_2

Rshamma. (2021, October 12). The importance of gratitude on your well-being. Institute of Youth Development and Excellence. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://iyde.org/blog/the-importance-of-gratitude-on-your-well-being/?gclid=CjwKCAiAvK2bBhB8EiwAZUbP1JamyjyvCqXawd6w14cxsleiTcIbn7aC_ueieqVElq_7-PipC45yrxoCafwQAvD_BwE