Using Gratitude to protect your mental well-being at Christmas
With Christmas upon us it is easy to get caught up in what we want and think we need. As a result, we forget about what we already have; we often focus on how we want life to be in the future that we forget to appreciate what we have in the present. When we focus our attention on what we do not have, this can have a negative impact on our well-being. However, there are things we can do to protect our mental well-being.
Today, we are focusing on the positive role that gratitude has in our mental health. Research shows that those who experience gratitude more frequently are also more likely to experience positive well-being. Interesting right? It is all well and good being told that if you feel more grateful then this will be linked to experiences of positive emotion. But how do you shift your attention to what is good in your life and experience more gratitude? It turns out it is quite easy when you use the ‘one good thing’ exercise. Research by social scientist Shawn Achor found that by engaging in a daily gratitude exercise for 21 days, participants noted increases in their subjective well-being and life satisfaction.
What is ‘one good thing’? Each day think of ‘one good thing’ that happened in the previous 24-hours that you are grateful for. Firstly, it is hard to remember the previous 24hours, so this take a little practice. Trust me, it gets easier. We very often muddle through life without really taking notice of what we are doing and days can become blurred. Recalling our day in this way this makes us stop and take notice. With ‘one good thing’ you are not only recalling the previous day but when you do so you are actively searching for something good, something you are grateful for. How often do we do that? As humans we are so much better at focusing on the negative that this exercise makes us work against our negativity bias. And when we scan the past 24-hours looking for ‘one good thing’ to be grateful for, not only did we experience the good thing at the time but now you get to relive it again and be grateful for it. With a little practice, you will struggle to find one good thing, and instead will easily recall many good things.
I suggest doing this with someone, it makes it fun. I do this with my son, and we share what we are grateful for with each other. We don’t have a certain time to do ‘one good thing’ but it is a lovely exercise to do with your child before bed; what better way to send them off to sleep than with a positive memory and emotion? You can also try it out with a friend or partner, it is such a lovely way to connect and get a meaningful insight into their day.
What might you be grateful for?
It can be anything, small or large. You might be grateful for the smile from a stranger, the coffee you had with a friend, the cuddle from your child, the time you had to relax in front of the fire.
Why not try ‘one good thing’ each day of advent and see what impact it has over the next 24 days.
This is the prefect way to keep us grounded and connected with others during this hectic time of year.