Most people we know are consistently running at full speed between work, family, and endless to-dos. Add in the holidays and it’s easy to feel stretched a little too thin, making the idea of slowing down and practicing mindfulness seem impossible; but this is exactly when we need restorative practices the most. Here’s the good news: you don’t need a full day off at a meditation retreat to recharge (although that certainly would be nice!) and you don’t need to be a pro at meditating to experience a deep sense of calm. You just need a small shift in mindset to remember that a few minutes here are there of very simple strategies can do a world of good in your overall well-being and outlook on the world during busier seasons. Gratitude is one of these simple strategies. Research shows that gratitude isn’t just a nice sentiment and something we send thank-cards for then forget about; it’s a powerful method of calming the nervous system, improving focus, and refueling your body’s natural energy tank. Just a few intentional moments of thankfulness can reset your brain chemistry to lower stress hormones and increase those feel-good, just-got-a-warm-hug messengers like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Let’s learn more about this positive practice that you can literally practice in your head while waiting in line at the grocery store to buy your holiday goodies.
Gratitude Refuels the Brain
When you’re feeling drained of energy, it means your prefrontal cortex (the brain’s decision-making factory) is working overtime. One of the fastest ways to give it a quick break is to redirect attention away from the pressure of decisions to the vast and open space of appreciation. Just as a quick water break can make the difference in your energy level during a tough workout, this gratitude break will renew your brain’s energy levels to get back to your cognitive tasks ahead. Here’s our favorite 1-minute gratitude break:
Pause for sixty seconds and name three things you’re grateful for either in your head, out loud to the universe, or written down on paper. These don’t have to be profound thoughts. You might be grateful for morning sunlight, a good cup of coffee, a conversation with your neighbor on the way out the door, or that fact that butterflies exist. It doesn’t matter how big or small, or if you are the only person on earth who is grateful for that thing in that moment, as long as it brings you a sense of thankfulness. Studies show that people who keep a daily or weekly gratitude list experience less fatigue, better sleep, and up to a 25 percent boost in perceived energy after just two weeks of consistent practice. You can do this at specific times in the day to really cement the habit, or simply tune into gratitude when you’re starting to feel that energy slump creep in.
Gratitude Strengthens Motivation
When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to lose sight of your why, or your purpose, or your motivation. Gratitude helps bring that meaning back into focus, whether it is your motivation for your workout in that moment or for your whole day. Recognizing what’s already going right activates the brain’s reward system and makes us feel both accomplished and capable, the same way you feel when you finally finish the project you’ve invested time into or that circuit exercise in the gym. Here’s a slightly different gratitude practice to really enhance your sense of motivation:
Take a few minutes to jot down one person, opportunity, or small success that has helped you move closer to your goals. This is good enough right here. But if you want to really amp up the feel-good hormones, express your thanks directly by sending a text, making a call, or maybe just saying your thanks out loud. Research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley shows that people who regularly express gratitude to others experience greater long-term happiness and lower stress levels, even weeks after the fact. It feels good to make others feel good so it creates a positive feedback loop for everyone involved!
Gratitude Enhances Stress Resilience
Gratitude doesn’t erase stress, but it changes how your body experiences it. Studies from the National Institutes of Health show that regular gratitude practices can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, and reduce inflammatory markers. MRI scans reveal that a single 1 minute session of gratitude activates the brain regions responsible for emotional regulation, helping us shift from reaction to reflection. This trigger of emotional regulation explains how you can wake up on the wrong side of the bed and still experience a 180-degree mood shift by the end of the day. With thoughts of gratitude you can manually turn that trigger on faster and earlier than waiting for something external to change your mood.
Our Favorite Gratitude Strategies
Nature Walks
Humans are wired to respond positively to nature — our heart rate slows, our breathing deepens, and our mood lifts. When you combine this natural restoration with gratitude, the benefits multiply. On your next walk, notice one thing you see, one thing you hear, and one thing you feel that brings you a sense of appreciation. Maybe it’s sunlight through trees or the rhythm of your footsteps or the appreciation of the paved trail so accessible to you. Stanford University researchers found that participants who paired outdoor movement with mindful gratitude experienced lower cortisol and decreased rumination after just four weeks.
Anchor Gratitude with Intention
Intentions or affirmations are tools that help the brain create new emotional patterns. Motivational messages that we are exposed to consistently can strengthen optimism and stress resilience. This effect is even more powerful when the message is one we created ourselves of gratitude because we believe it even more. You can certainly find meaningful affirmations in an online search, but you can create your own that is centered in gratitude easily as well. Each week reflect on what you’re most thankful for and then turn that thing(s) into an inspirational message for the week ahead. It can be specific such as “I continue to move my body because I am grateful for the independence it allows me to have” or can be more general such as “I strive to be grounded in appreciation of every moment.”
Journaling
There has been endless research on the benefits of writing your thoughts of gratitude down. It takes it from the mind to the external world that can be visually seen as true, and somehow cements that feeling of gratitude even deeper. If you love journaling this is something you can simply add in. For those less apt to write in a notebook, try with a prompt as simple as 3 bullet points of anything you are grateful for that day or 3 things you look forward to tomorrow. You can even write these in a digital notes app on your phone or tablet. Take it a step further and revisit your gratitude journal monthly, quarterly or at the end of each year to remind yourself of the goodness you got to experience. This article has some great journaling prompts and resources or you can download our own Wellness Center template here.
Meal Time Sharing
If you eat a meal with others, it is a fun activity to share a grateful thought. Then ask each other to elaborate. Not only do you get the benefits of your own gratitude, but you get to absorb gratitude from others and enjoy the perks of social connection along the way.
Gamify Gratitude
Need some help getting started or just like gamifying things? We love this card deck: Moments of Gratitude. Whether you use them on your own for moments of solitude or share them in gatherings, they create thankful conversation immediately.
So why not start now? What are three things you are grateful for in this moment?
