How gratitude benefits you

A New Year is a chance to reflect on the past year and make new resolutions for guidance. This age old tradition acts both as a compass and a self-accountability tool for improved outcome.

Every first Sunday of the year many Christians attend a ‘Covenant Sunday’ where the congregants get an opportunity to give themselves wholly to God. The service emphasises the need to live in a grateful covenant relationship.

In our case, the preacher expounded on the topic of gratitude, which was described as the appreciation and recognition of whatever goodness life is made up of, whether people, experiences, or simple pleasures of life.

She opined that before making new resolutions it imperative to be thankful by acknowledging blessings and non-tangible endowments in our lives, even as we pray and work for more.

This statement is true especially during these tough economic times, coupled with traditional vagaries of the post-holiday festivities and the tough back to school month of January.

How does gratitude influence and impact our mental wellness?

Practicing gratitude is credited with reducing negative emotions and fostering more positive mindset hence significantly influences our psychosocial and spiritual wellbeing.

Some simple practical ways of expressing gratitude include, a gratitude journal where one can write down things they are grateful for every day. Performing random acts of kindness, like helping someone unexpectedly or volunteering for a cause, fosters satisfaction.

Sometimes we exist without a chance to savour the positive moments in our lives, like spending time with a loved one, enjoying a movie, a game of sport, a meal or a cup of coffee. Normalizing taking time to enjoy the experiences and appreciate the flavors of life is encouraged.

Verbally expressing gratitude to someone helpful or impactful in one’s life by simple acts like a ‘thank you’ or writing to them a heartfelt note expressing one’s appreciation matters.

Finally creating gratitude jar is another sure hack, where one writes on pieces of paper the good things in their life and puts them in a jar, and whenever feeling down or stressed one can retrieve them and reflect the good aspects in life.

Research indicates that practicing gratitude is linked to reductions in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger, due to the feeling of satisfaction and emotional regulation.

Gratitude practices have been associated with higher sleep quality, with individuals who people who tend to think about what they are thankful for before bed having less sleep disturbances, because of more positive thoughts at bedtime.

Gratitude practices have been noted to increase mood and happiness, by intentionally focusing on counting one's blessings, increasing happiness and lowering negative emotions.

Even simple activities, such as listing things for which one is grateful down, have shown immediate positive effects.

Research has shown that frequent gratitude practice could lead to enduring changes in brain functioning, amplifying sensitivity to positive experience over time, suggesting that people who continue to express more frequent gratitude may actually develop a more lasting positive outlook on life.

- The writer is a licensed psychologist/psychiatrist clinical officer and lecturer KMTC Meru Campus