By: Melissa Mikkonen, MA, LPCC

It’s the time of year that we enjoy pumpkin spice everything, gather with loved ones, and try to slow down long enough to be thankful for all that we have. Sounds simple, but finding time every day throughout the year to experience gratitude can have a very positive impact on mental health.

The technical term for focusing on gratitude is called “positive psychology”. It shifts our view from what is wrong (such as mental illness, trauma, addiction, stress…) to what is good and what is possible. What we have learned is that cultivating positive personal attributes fortifies us during times of adversity and emotional turmoil and leads to greater happiness and resilience. Moreover, of all the attributes one can develop, gratitude is most strongly associated with mental health.

Benefits of gratitude include:

  • Improved physical, emotional, and social well-being
  • Greater optimism and happiness
  • Improved feelings of connection in times of loss or crises
  • Increased self-esteem
  • Increased energy levels
  • Strengthened heart, immune system, and decreased blood pressure
  • Improved emotional and academic intelligence
  • Expanded capacity for forgiveness
  • Decreased stress, anxiety, depression, and headaches
  • Improved self-care and greater likelihood to exercise
  • Heightened spirituality — ability to see something bigger than ourselves

Sounds good, right?! There are several ways to work on feeling and expressing gratitude including meditation, expressing gratitude to others, creating a time every day where you focus on what you’re thankful for, and keeping a gratitude journal. Research shows that recording experiences for which one is grateful for only two consecutive weeks has lasting positive effects sustained for up to six months. Spending some time every day to meditate on things we are thankful for helps to train the mind for greater positivity, gratitude and happiness. Practice this meditation for a few minutes at a time. The more you do this the more you create new neural pathways and alter existing ones as we train the brain to develop a more grateful outlook.

So, what are you thankful for? 🙂