Our brain’s primary goal is to ensure our survival and reproduction. Whether we are happy is secondary for it. That’s something we need to take care of ourselves. According to research, practicing gratitude can greatly help us in this regard.
The brain’s effort to help us survive manifests by placing great emphasis on anything that might threaten us. Fears, worries, and other unpleasant emotions and thoughts are stronger in our minds than the pleasant ones.
You’ve likely noticed that most news is negative. This isn’t because only bad things happen in the world, but because our brain has a stronger emotional response to negative news. This way, the brain warns us of potential risks and motivates us to think about how to protect ourselves and survive.
To not just survive, but to also thrive, it’s good to balance this tendency of the brain. We can consciously and repeatedly direct our attention to positive things. The brain is neuroplastic, so if we do this regularly, over time, the brain will learn to notice positive and pleasant things on its own.
One simple and proven method is to keep a gratitude journal. Every day, write down what you are grateful for. According to research by Martin Seligman, even just noting 3 things daily can have an effect. But it can also be interesting to occasionally write down a whole page or more. When you run out of ideas and give yourself space, a whole new realm of things to be grateful for might open up.
For those who like numbers, I’ll mention Robert Emmons, whose research shows that regularly practicing gratitude can increase happiness by up to 25%. And keeping a gratitude journal for just three weeks leads to better sleep and more energy (source).
You can enhance your journaling practice by playing pleasant music and, if you wish, saying out loud what you are writing. The more senses we engage, the more we support our minds in learning this new habit.
It’s also good to occasionally be mindful of your body, such as being aware of your breath. Our emotions manifest in the body, and so to to experience gratitude and process emotions healthily in general, it’s essential to be in touch with our body.
There might be times when you don't feel any significant experience, and that’s completely okay. Feeling grateful is pleasant, but it works even without it. By doing this, we are teaching our mind to focus more on positives and less on fears, worries, and negatives.
You can also adapt the concept of a gratitude journal to suit your needs. For example, if you want to boost your confidence, you can write a success journal (what went well). Or if you want to improve/strengthen your relationship with someone, you can write about what you’re grateful for in that person (what you like about them, what they’ve done for you, their strengths, etc.).
If you don’t have time to write in a journal, you can set up a simple regular activity (such as your morning walk to the tram) during which you’ll think about what you’re grateful for. If circumstances allow, and if it’s comfortable for you, you can say it out loud or visualize it. Again, the more senses involved, the better.
So, what are you grateful for today? :)
Comentários