Gratitude

Living Well

Written by: Meg Sharp, Fitness & Wellbeing Consultant, Cambridge Group of Clubs

I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude these days. “I must have written about this topic before…” I mused this morning. Sure enough, I uncovered a post from April 2020. Wow. 4 years ago. That was the very beginning of my writing to all of you. 

So, let me please segue to enthuse that I am so grateful for the opportunity then and now to connect with you through my thoughts and words. I am incredibly grateful to the Members I ran into yesterday who assure me they read my posts regularly. One even prints them and pins them up where she can review the ideas. Wow! That made my day.

But I digress.

What is Gratitude?

A conscious, positive emotion that is expressed when we feel thankful for something or someone.

Why is it so powerful?

That’s a huge question. And worth trying to unpack a little.

It requires conscious effort. We have to slow down for a moment. Stop and be deliberate in our thoughts and – in the case where we express the gratitude out loud – our actions.

So, we are living in the present. As we bring attention to and are grateful for the current moment, the static of everything else falls away. We lose sight of our past regrets and anxiety for the future and can savour a simple moment of positive affect.

Being grateful for what we have, makes what we have absolutely enough. We stop searching for what would make life “better” and are – for that moment – fulfilled by what our cup currently holds.

As we bathe in the light of a happier state, we can feel great hope for the future. This can be especially powerful when we are grateful for something quite small, as we can envision continuing to enjoy and feel grateful for small things as a lifelong practice. Feeling grateful for a person or their actions gives us faith that this world continues to be one where wonderful people exist, and wonderful things can and will happen.

Feeling grateful often makes us focus on things and people outside of us. We feel part of something bigger than ourselves and more connected. To others, the world around us, or both. 

Gratitude and your Brain

People who express gratitude show greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain associated with learning and decision making. This suggests that practicing gratitude may help keep tissue in this area healthier and may make us more sensitive to the experience of gratitude moving forward – contributing directly to improved mental wellbeing.

As importantly, experiencing gratitude has been shown to boost serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that improve mood immediately, and reduce levels of cortisol, decreasing feelings of stress and anxiety.

At a time when there is much to be angry and anxious about, it’s important we take moments to counterbalance that negative affect. Feeling and expressing gratitude on a daily basis feels to me like an elegantly powerful, simple salve.

Gratitude in the face of Tragedy and Grief

Watching the lives of others – in other countries, within our close-knit circles – unravel in horrific, seemingly meaningless ways can have the impact of making us hold those who are dear to us even closer. It can make a wave of gratitude even more acute. It can also bring feelings of helplessness, guilt, and shame. Try to soften those blows. It will not help others for you to feel less grateful for what you have. Quite the opposite. Fully embracing and experiencing your gratitude makes you more forgiving, more compassionate, and resilient. You are a stronger person, a better supporter, and more powerful advocate because of it.

Experiencing your own terror and sadness can – must?! – be experienced with waves of gratitude. Far from suggesting you push anything under the rug – I suggest instead you find opportunities to put your grief and anger down for a moment. Allow yourself to experience a moment of pure joy, laughter, pleasure, or gratitude. You can – you will – pick your heavy burdens back up. But you will be stronger, more resilient now, and you can work towards achieving a careful balance. Happiness and unhappiness are not opposing forces where experiencing one negates the other: They coexist. There’s a powerful, positive dynamic there. 

Think of gratitude as small slivers of sunlight peeking through the curtains. Enjoy a small moment of warmth. And – when you can – fling the curtains wide open for a minute or two.

Your Task Today… 

Tell someone the story of why you are so very grateful for them. You will make that person feel remarkably good. And do yourself a wonderful turn as well.