​Why is Gratitude Such a Buzz Word?

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I thought it might be interesting to reflect in a blog about all the buzz around gratitude. I find that practicing gratitude is both personally and professionally very important, but also “all the rage” these days. It’s hard to find a self-care article that does not include practicing gratitude or to find a person that does not think they “should” practice gratitude.

So, what’s the deal with gratitude? Why is it so important? Here are some of my thoughts on the topic…

• Perspective – I fundamentally believe that life is all about perspective. If we see things a certain way, not only do we seek out information to confirm that perspective, but we miss the chances to see things a different way. So, if we focus on the things in our lives we are grateful for, rather than our frustrations or challenges, we will most likely feel a bit happier and more at peace.
• Reducing stress and anxiety– Interestingly, it has been shown that practicing gratitude can reduce stress and anxiety in only two weeks. How amazing is that!
• Gratitude is not ignoring the unpleasant parts of life– Having a gratitude practice does not mean that you ignore the difficult parts of your life or try to focus on only positive and happy feelings. It means that you acknowledge those things but also acknowledge the other things that you are grateful for. Even when they are teeny tiny little things, they matter and simply thinking about them does wonders for your mental health!

One of the ways I think about practicing gratitude is as another way to bring awareness to the great things, while also holding space for the unpleasant things in life. A good metaphor for this is thinking about your life like a slightly cloudy sky. If you only focus on the clouds and rain, that is all you see but you miss the sunny parts and interesting cloud shapes! Gratitude can be the attention you give to the whole sky, instead of just the unpleasant patches of clouds and rain.

So, I encourage you to try out a gratitude practice this holiday season. Particularly if you are feeling stressed and tired by all the holiday events and activities! It’s honestly pretty simple… All you need to do is pick a time of day to focus on thinking of 3-5 things you are grateful for that day. You could write them in a formal gratitude journal or just reflect on those things, either way works and will help shift your perspective!