Emotional Health Column
By Dr. Holly Holmes-Meredith, D. Min., MFT, Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
and Bill Yarborough, CHT and Certified EFT Practitioner
Rumi said it best: “Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.”
The wisdom that practicing gratitude provides many benefits is not new, since the beloved 13th century Persian Poet knew it. Rumi just lacked the scientific research and a MRI to prove it.
The research on the influence of gratitude is extensive and so are its effects for psychological and physical health. A 2014 Forbes article on the scientifically proven benefits of gratitude indicates it reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Researchers likewise confirmed that gratitude effectively reduces depression and increases happiness.
Grateful people also experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. Another study published in Applied Psychology in 2011 links keeping an evening gratitude journal to longer and better sleep.
Want more convincing? A 2017 article in Greater Good Magazine pointed to new research involving MRI scans indicating gratitude may have a lasting positive effect on the brain.
Rumi is not the only historic figure to praise gratitude. Marcus Tullius Cicero of ancient Rome said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
A 2017 article in Harvard Health Publishing illustrates the strength of gratitude over other psychological therapeutic or healing techniques. Over 400 individuals were tested on the impact of various therapeutic interventions. When they asked these individuals to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who they had not thanked for their kindness, participants immediately experienced huge increases in happiness scores--greater than any other psychological intervention in the study. Other studies yielded similar results.
The healing power of gratitude extends to overcoming trauma. A 2006 study published in Behavior Research and Therapy found that Vietnam War Veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology also found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11. Given the benefits of gratitude in dealing with those tragic events, gratitude can be a potent aide in contending with the Covid-19 pandemic.
So how do you cultivate this miraculous “cure-all” called gratitude? The 2017 Harvard Health Publishing article mentioned above highlights the excerpts below:
• Write a thank-you note. You can nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
• No time to write? Thank someone mentally. It may help just to think about somebody who has done something nice for you and mentally thank the individual.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you've received each day.
• Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings—reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number—such as three to five things—that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
• Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
• Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as "peace"), why not focus on what you're grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.)
John Ortberg said: “Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.”
The 2017 article in Harvard Health Publishing also stresses that through gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals—whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
Like the great sage Willie Nelson said: “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
If you have questions or comments, please reach out to us via the contact information on our websites: Holly@hypnotherapytraining.com or Bill@billyarborough.com.