Gratitude - Practical ways to introduce it into your life

As the world is embarking on wide scale change and we are finding ourselves in situations we cannot control (thank you Stage 4 lockdowns), it is wise to find practices that boost our mental health, immune system and it can all be done from the comfort of your own home.

This is where using gratitude in our daily life fits in. New scientific evidence now shows that practicing GRATITUDE:

• Changes our brain function

• Improves your mental health

• Makes you feel happier, healthier and more productive

• Boosts your immune system

• Improves your relationships

• And can even increase your self-esteem and resilience in times of challenges.

What you think influences how you feel, and what you feel influences what you do. 
Negative thoughts leave you feeling disheartened, upset, resentful and hopeless.
Positive thoughts make you feel optimistic, joyful, uplifted and empowered.

Gratitude transforms this entire cycle by first changing your thoughts.

**How does gratitude change the brain and make us happier, healthier and more productive?**

Regular practicing an attitude of gratitude literally changes the molecular structure of the brain and the boosting hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. *

**So, what do these hormones do?**

Serotonin – Is a hormone that helps to manage and balance your mood, social behaviour, appetite, digestion, sleep and memory. It is predominately produced in the central nervous system and it increases feelings of happiness and regulates anxiety. When serotonin levels are low, it has been showed to be associated with depression.

Dopamine – Helps to modify and regulate movement, attention in learning and enhances feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

**How does gratitude improve our self-esteem and resilience?**

When we are grateful we tend to reduce our desire to fall into social comparison and then becoming resentful towards people who have more eg. money, friends, better jobs etcGrateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments. Gratitude has also been shown to play a major role in overcoming trauma, i.e. it reduces the stress response.Grateful people tend to be good at recognising all that they have to be thankful for even during the worst times, hence fostering resilience and in times like we are experiencing currently, it helps us move past the areas we cannot control that make us upset or angry and focus on the areas that bring us joy, happiness and contentment.~

Practical way to introduce gratitude in your life: 

• Write a gratitude journal. Write 5 things you are grateful for upon waking and 5 things before bed.

• Meditate with your gratitude list, giving thanks for all your good fortune.

• On your 1 hour of exercises outdoors, take the time to take some deep breaths of fresh area, and observe the beautiful of the blossoms on spring growing from the trees. 

• Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content or themes that make you feel upset or angry

• Write a card to someone you haven’t seen in a while and tell them something nice.

• When times are bad, focus on your family & friends who are at your side (virtually).

• Tell someone what you appreciate about them.

• Look in the mirror and think of three things you like about yourself.

• When something doesn’t go to plan think of 5 benefits that came out of the experience. 

• Regularly connect with family and friends that bring you joy and mention things you appreciate about them 

• Showing thanks and gratitude to your body by taking care of through food, exercises and adjustments where required. 

Yours in health, 

Dr Diana Pakzamir
Blossom Family Chiropractic

* This was confirmed in a study conducted by UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research in 2007.