DEVELOPING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Dr. Frank Lipman shares his key practices to develop an “attitude of gratitude” every day.
Particularly these days, life is not without its challenges. We live in a time of global upheaval and chronic anxiety, and the prospect of navigating through it can seem daunting. Peace and contentment can feel, at times, almost unreachable. However, the good news is that by shifting our mindset, by cultivating an attitude of gratitude, we can elevate the spirit and bring light to life even when things feel dark. Put simply, gratitude is a way out of the mess.
Granted, developing a gratitude practice will not make your struggles disappear or bring world peace overnight. But it will go a long way towards upgrading your health, improving a number of important bio-markers along the way. In the long run, it can help slow aging, support a healthier brain and even help save your life. Gratitude is an inside-and-out elixir you can grab anytime, anywhere — the more you take advantage of it, the richer your life will be. So how to dig in and start growing your gratitude? Here’s where to start:
What gratitude really is.
Gratitude is the practice of turning your attention to the goodness that is already in your life. This isn’t a complex philosophy reserved for the spiritual elite; it’s a simple but powerful way to shift and reframe your perspective on life. When you view your world through a thankful lens, even the small or seemingly insignificant things, good things start to happen.
As you begin to perceive almost everything as a gift, you can’t help but feel buoyed up, supported.
At the core of the gratitude or ‘giving thanks/being thankful’ philosophy is the idea that each moment of each day presents you with an opportunity to be appreciative for something. That’s a lot of daily opportunities! By practicing gratitude, you’re training yourself to see the good that actually exists alongside the challenge, and to notice the ripple effect of this positive perspective. One positive thought often triggers another. Keep in mind though, practicing gratitude will positively influence your life only if you integrate it into your daily routine.
No matter how big or small the moment – it all counts.
Photo cred: drfranklipman.com
What gratitude isn’t.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the difficult stuff that may be in your life, or pretending ‘it’s all good’ when its anything but. It’s not about being a Pollyanna, sweeping your real feelings under a rug. What it is about is a clear-eyed acknowledgement of both the good and the bad, and opting to give the good stuff weight and value, so the positive can shine through even on those days when everything isn’t going your way.
Gratitude delivers positive health benefits from the jump.
Researchers have found that gratitude contributes to more positive emotions, less depression, deeper enjoyment of good experiences, increased ability to navigate difficult circumstances, better health, and stronger relationships. As a clinician, I have been struck many times by the way that patients who are grateful for something in their lives tend to handle health problems more smoothly and rebound from illness more easily. In other words, gratitude is a totally side-effect-free “wonder drug” that you can “manufacture” simply by learning how to embrace it. But the upsides don’t stop there. There is no shortage of scientific studies documenting physical benefits that gratitude can bring. Among them:
Better sleep – according to a University of Manchester study which found that gratitude tames negative thinking, which, especially before bedtime, contributes to longer periods of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
Better immunity – the thinking is, with the increased positive emotions and improved sleep that a gratitude practice encourages, immune function gets a nice boost as well, allowing the body to better fight off infections and disease.