The Science of Gratitude: 5 Easy Practices for November

The Science of Gratitude: 5 Easy Practices for November

Susan K. Gurley, Executive Director

Susan K. Gurley, Executive Director

Susan Gurley is the Executive Director of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), a non-profit international mental health association. She is a lawyer and advocate with 25 years of leadership experience working in the mental health and access to justice fields, international development and legal reform, and higher education administration.

The Science of Gratitude: 5 Easy Practices for November

Share
No
The Science of Gratitude: Five Easy Practices for November

The Month of November Carries Different Meaning for Different People 

As soon as Halloween is over, here come those holiday commercials of the seemingly perfect family smiling around a meticulously prepared dinner; cozy blankets and steaming mugs of cocoa; and tossing snow while everyone smiles. And then there are all of those social media posts about what everyone is thankful for!

While the pressure of the month of November might cause anxiety, there actually might be something to those outpourings of gratitude. Science supports how consciously practicing gratitude can help you feel better, attain stronger mental health outcomes, and even curb anxiety.

Gratitude at the Center of November

For us at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), we want to embrace gratitude this month. Try these practices during your calmest days, or when you may feel the anxiety that may come with large gatherings, personal conversations, or during any moments of loneliness. Whether overwhelmed or underwhelmed by November’s happenings, the entire month is indeed a wonderful reminder for us to reflect, learn, and practice gratitude.

As the president of ADAA, Luana Marques,Ph.D., says, “For me, practicing gratitude is more than just being thankful. It’s an act of cultivating peace within myself, a moment of reflection, and an opportunity to see the light in all the life around me.” And science agrees with her: gratitude boosts your mental health and can help anxiety and depression. Gratitude comes to life once you learn about its full potential, and then, by practicing it.

What Does Science Say About Gratitude?

Scientific research supports a connection between gratitude, mindfulness, and mental health. For instance, psychologists Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Dr. Michael E. McCullough studied gratitude and found that people who wrote about the things that they were grateful for are people who are more optimistic and who feel better about their lives. Researchers from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania observed that managers who thank their workers end up helping the workers feel motivated to work harder. ADAA Past President Karen Cassiday, PhD, ACT confirms that over "fifteen thousand studies have proved the power” of gratitude in improving "mental and physical health." In short, gratitude can lead to better overall health.

Here are Five Ways You Can Practice Gratitude for Better Mental Health and to Help Alleviate Anxiety or Depression

  1. Make and maintain a thoughtful journal of gratitude. By thoughtfully and consistently journaling what you are grateful for, you will allow yourself a steady practice of gratitude. There are many options for gratitude journals including DIY journals as well as ADAA Ally Pockitudes, a pocket-sized mindfulness and gratitude journal to inspire “self-healing.” As founder Frederick Terral said, “the key is to let this tiny act become a habit, a habit to be grateful and choose happiness.” Pockitudes donates a portion of their proceeds to support ADAA , and for this we are most grateful!
  2. Write yourself a "gratitude list." Before you go to bed each night, ask yourself: “what three things am I grateful for?” Write them down. Do this every night, or as close to nightly as possible. Perhaps you feel simple gratitude toward a delicious meal you ate or gratitude towards an act of compassion from a friend or loved one. According to scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Research in Personality and Psychological Inquiry, gratitude helps us cultivate a positive outlook, brings attention to positive details, and fosters self-acceptance. Parents can also ask their children to list three things daily that they are grateful for, or to develop a gratitude journal.
  3. Spread gratitude: write a gratitude note to others. Perhaps you feel grateful toward the person who makes your coffee at your local café. Perhaps you feel gratitude for your child’s art teacher. Let them know specifically how much they brighten your day. Write them a note or just pull them aside and speak with them, sharing in a few sentences how appreciative you feel. Research shows that gratitude has a “ripple effect:” the recipient of gratitude is more likely to help others. Is there a group or organization that has helped you overcome something, like ADAA? Consider honoring them with a monetary gift on Giving Tuesday. 
  4. Practice gratitude-based meditations. Meditation is a powerful tool for overall wellness and improved mental health and there are meditations that specifically focus on uplifting gratitude. “Gratitude contemplation” is a way to cultivate gratitude through these gratitude-based meditations. According to research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, gratitude-based meditations lead to an immediate improvement in mood, even after five minutes of practice. Many mediation apps also provide guided exercises that specifically focus you on gratitude.
  5. Practice gratitude with the “bigger picture” in mind. According to ADAA member Dr. Richa Bhatia, MD, gratitude-based interventions can be helpful in anxiety alleviation. Writing down things that you are grateful for, particularly during uncertain times like the pandemic, allows you to realize gratitude in a way that offers you a “bigger picture perspective.” By illuminating your gratitude around the things that you care about, your attention shifts to the wider lens of things that matter, instead of being bogged down by small issues that don’t actually mean much. 

Start these Five Gratitude Methods in November

While we might have a fixed image of holiday season perfection in many of our minds, the most important part of November is not keeping up appearances, but it’s the practice of gratitude. Your mental health, physical health, and well-being are vital. ADAA has a diverse collection of resources and articles around gratitude, including personal stories of gratitude.

Questions for you to Answer in the Comments Below

  1. Does November prompt you to feel grateful? 
  2. What Is your preferred method of carrying out gratitude?
  3. What are one to three events that happened in the last week that made you feel grateful?

Susan K. Gurley, Executive Director

Susan K. Gurley, Executive Director

Susan Gurley is the Executive Director of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), a non-profit international mental health association. She is a lawyer and advocate with 25 years of leadership experience working in the mental health and access to justice fields, international development and legal reform, and higher education administration.

Use of Website Blog Commenting

ADAA Blog Content and Blog Comments Policy

ADAA provides this Website blogs for the benefit of its members and the public. The content, view and opinions published in Blogs written by our personnel or contributors – or from links or posts on the Website from other sources - belong solely to their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ADAA, its members, management or employees. Any comments or opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors only. Please remember that the open and real-time nature of the comments posted to these venues makes it is impossible for ADAA to confirm the validity of any content posted, and though we reserve the right to review and edit or delete any such comment, we do not guarantee that we will monitor or review it. As such, we are not responsible for any messages posted or the consequences of following any advice offered within such posts. If you find any posts in these posts/comments to be offensive, inaccurate or objectionable, please contact us via email at [email protected] and reference the relevant content. If we determine that removal of a post or posts is necessary, we will make reasonable efforts to do so in a timely manner.

ADAA expressly disclaims responsibility for and liabilities resulting from, any information or communications from and between users of ADAA’s blog post commenting features. Users acknowledge and agree that they may be individually liable for anything they communicate using ADAA’s blogs, including but not limited to defamatory, discriminatory, false or unauthorized information. Users are cautioned that they are responsible for complying with the requirements of applicable copyright and trademark laws and regulations. By submitting a response, comment or content, you agree that such submission is non-confidential for all purposes. Any submission to this Website will be deemed and remain the property of ADAA.

The ADAA blogs are forums for individuals to share their opinions, experiences and thoughts related to mental illness. ADAA wants to ensure the integrity of this service and therefore, use of this service is limited to participants who agree to adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Refrain from transmitting any message, information, data, or text that is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, that may be invasive of another 's privacy, hateful, or bashing communications - especially those aimed at gender, race, color, sexual orientation, national origin, religious views or disability.

Please note that there is a review process whereby all comments posted to blog posts and webinars are reviewed by ADAA staff to determine appropriateness before comments are posted. ADAA reserves the right to remove or edit a post containing offensive material as defined by ADAA.

ADAA reserves the right to remove or edit posts that contain explicit, obscene, offensive, or vulgar language. Similarly, posts that contain any graphic files will be removed immediately upon notice.

2. Refrain from posting or transmitting any unsolicited, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain mail," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation. ADAA reserves the right to delete these posts immediately upon notice.

3. ADAA invites and encourages a healthy exchange of opinions. If you disagree with a participant 's post or opinion and wish to challenge it, do so with respect. The real objective of the ADAA blog post commenting function is to promote discussion and understanding, not to convince others that your opinion is "right." Name calling, insults, and personal attacks are not appropriate and will not be tolerated. ADAA will remove these posts immediately upon notice.

4. ADAA promotes privacy and encourages participants to keep personal information such as address and telephone number from being posted. Similarly, do not ask for personal information from other participants. Any comments that ask for telephone, address, e-mail, surveys and research studies will not be approved for posting.

5. Participants should be aware that the opinions, beliefs and statements on blog posts do not necessarily represent the opinions and beliefs of ADAA. Participants also agree that ADAA is not to be held liable for any loss or injury caused, in whole or in part, by sponsorship of blog post commenting. Participants also agree that ADAA reserves the right to report any suspicions of harm to self or others as evidenced by participant posts.

RESOURCES AND NEWS
Evidence-based Tips & Strategies from our Member Experts
RELATED ARTICLES
Block reference