By Malynn Kuangparichat, Psy.D., J.D.
One of the simplest ways to increase your happiness is to develop a habit of giving thanks. When you practice gratitude in your day to day moments, you’ll find positive impacts on your overall well-being. What gratitude is actually doing is taking your attention away from negative emotions like resentment or anger, and fostering feelings of happiness.
For myself and for all the clinicians in our practice, we’ve created a habit around practicing gratitude, whether through saying “thank you” with genuine appreciation or writing in a gratitude journal.
Fortunately, there are many simple yet powerful ways to practice gratitude in your life that fosters happiness and not only positively affects you, but everyone around you as well.
Practice Gratitude to Reprogram Your Brain
Many recent neuropsychological research studies have shown how feelings of gratitude change you at the brain level. Specifically, feelings of gratefulness wire new neural pathways within the “bliss” center of the brain.
It also increases the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain which are the chemicals that make us feel happy.
What’s more, practicing gratitude reduces anxiety and fears by regulating stress hormones, thus improving your overall mental health, as you’re able to sleep better and improve your relationships with others.
Lastly, when you experience feelings of gratitude, you’re restructuring your cognitive functioning and wiring it for positive thinking.
What Practicing Gratitude Is Not
Just to be clear, practicing gratitude is not about participating in toxic positivity which is the belief that no matter what negative situation you’re experiencing, you should keep a positive mindset.
Our feelings, both positive and negative, are important. They signal to our bodies how we’re feeling and should be acknowledged and not ignored.
Practicing gratitude as a daily routine is also more than saying “thank you” to someone though that’s a good place to start.
You want to really embody gratitude by feeling into the genuine appreciation you have for someone in the moment.
That means taking a moment to be fully present.
How to Start a Gratitude Practice in Your Day
With the many benefits of gratitude, starting simple gratitude practices like a gratitude journal every day has such positive effects on your overall well-being. Here are helpful tips on how to start your gratitude practice using a gratitude journal.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Choose a journal that brings you joy, and make a practice of gratitude every day by writing down 3 things you’re grateful for. It may help to close your eyes, take a few centering breaths, and reflect.
This can be done anytime during the day though first thing in the morning or right before bed may be best times as you’re either starting or winding down your day.
It’s helpful to be specific, and it can be a person, pet, thing, or experience. Take a look at these examples:
“I’m grateful for…”
- “cool, crisp winter air”
- “the way my dog rests her chin on my knee and looks at me with her big brown eyes”
- “my kid’s smile”
- “sun rays on the floorboards”
- “going out for a walk”
As you continue this practice every day, you’ll find it easier to come up with more and more things you’re thankful for on a daily basis. Go with it and write down as many as possible, and see where it takes you.
Once you’ve established your routine, try writing a list that covers more breadth and try another day where your gratitude list covers more depth. You can play around with what works for you such as using bullet points or writing in a stream of consciousness approach.
For a more creative approach, you can consider adding in sketches or drawings or dancing out your gratitude.
Most importantly, the gratitude journal practice is to really embody the feeling of gratitude.
After you’re done writing, take a moment to put your awareness into your body. How does your body feel when you reflect on what you’re grateful for?
As you develop a habit around gratitude, be kind to yourself. It takes time and commitment to start a new habit. You can simply start by setting aside 5 minutes every day (figure out what time works best for you) and write down just 3 things you’re grateful for the day.
Reflect On Your Gratitude Practice
In a sense, your gratitude list can shine a light on your values. Once you’ve started a daily gratitude practice, look back at what you’re grateful for. Take ten minutes to notice any common threads or patterns with any people, places, things, and experiences on your list.
Any theme may point to some of your core values, in essence, your inner compass. In addition to cultivating happiness through your gratitude practice, knowing your values help you make decisions in your day-to-day, and live a more fulfilling life.
If you’d like to learn more, then head over to my blog post on how to align your life with your core values.
Contact Us
Ready to take the next step for your well-being? Chester County Well-Being (CCWB) provides a range of mental health services to ensure we meet our community’s needs. We serve individuals, couples, and families in the Chester County area. Reach out to us here.
Our specializations include:
- Work and Career issues
- Stress Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Therapy for Depression and Anxiety
- Couples Counseling
- Family Counseling
- Parenting Support
- Grief Counseling
- Addiction & Recovery
Teletherapy
In addition to in-person services, Dr. Malynn Kuangparichat provides high quality and secure telepsychology services in participating PSYPACT states. All other clinicians offer teletherapy services for the state of PA.
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Disclaimer: The contents of this blog does not constitute a clinical relationship or replace the need for professional services.
About the Author
Malynn Kuangparichat (Psy.D., J.D.) is founder and psychologist at Chester County Well-Being.
She has a collaborative approach that results in highly tailored evaluations intended to meet her clients’ unique needs. She focuses on an individual’s strengths, which are integrated in the practical, personalized recommendations identified by the findings of an evaluation.
In her free time, she enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and getting ice cream or doughnuts from the local shops.