Karyn L. Flannagan, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist.
The positive effects of gratitude have gained traction over the last 10 to 15 years. While we’re only beginning to understand the profound connection between mind and body, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is built on the idea that what you think about affects your behavior. By changing your thought patterns, you can redirect your energy to behaviors that serve you better.
Over the last two years, we have been through a lot, collectively. Living through the pandemic and the national and global reckoning with issues of social justice has highlighted the challenges and barriers that everyone has, no matter who you are or where you come from. That’s why at this cultural moment, it’s so important – perhaps more important than ever before – to understand the powerful effect that gratitude has on our bodies and minds.
Simply put, gratitude is a feeling of being thankful for something or someone. Deliberately taking a moment each day to focus on gratitude helps you to notice the good things that are going on in your life, whether they are big or small. Research has shown that a daily practice of gratitude can have a wide range of benefits for your physical and mental well-being. Gratitude has the power to:
Gratitude helps us to stop allowing ourselves to be hijacked of joy. In this world, we experience so much negativity that derails whatever inner joy or positivity we have. A practice of gratitude helps us put less energy into what we can’ t control and keeps our focus on positive things in our lives, without erasing or ignoring life’s negative aspects.
It’s simple to start a daily gratitude practice, it doesn’t cost any money, you don’t need equipment or professional guidance, and it doesn’t have to take more than a couple of minutes. Here are a few ideas about ways to start:
It’s important to note that the things you’re grateful for do not have to be big things. Simple pleasures and small moments, from playing with your dog or hearing your child laugh to feeling the warm sun on your face, sitting down to a meal with your family or listening to music can all be worthy of gratitude.
Starting a new routine or habit – even a small one like a daily gratitude practice – can be difficult. Here are a few tips to make it easier:
I hope you’ll give a daily gratitude practice a try. Focusing on what’s going well gives us a sense of increased satisfaction with our daily routine, which ultimately adds up to satisfaction with our lives. Good luck!
Learn more about Inova Behavioral Health Services or call 571-623-3500.
Inova Loudoun Hospital scores an ‘A’ for 25 consecutive grading periods Fairfax, VA, May 1,…
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50% of adults in…
Heather Perez Saiz, MA, LCSW, CCTSW, is the Independent Living Donor Advocate at Inova Fairfax…
Palak Shah, MD, MS Fairfax, VA — A research team at Inova Schar Heart and…
Jason Bonomo, MD, PhD, is a cardiologist at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular. Dr. Bonomo…
Update as of April 24, 2024: Inova’s structural heart team has now completed the first…