Approaching Thanksgiving with a Grateful Mindset

Approaching Thanksgiving with a Grateful Mindset

It is easy to confuse our sense of purpose and wellbeing with a quest for happiness.? We often look to external factors: the soul mate with whom we spend our lives, the fulfilling and lucrative career, the dream house filled (or not) with accomplished children, the shiny new gadget or sleek ride, the exotic vacation destination.

Turns out, things don’t fulfill our purpose or make us happy, at least, not for long.

Wellbeing, or happiness, is actually not a state of having but a state of mindset.? How we think, what we think, and the frequency in which we think in this manner greatly affect our sense of wellbeing.? And gratitude is at the center.

According to positivepsychology.com , the benefits of gratitude are far-reaching.??

Physical (a fitter you): stronger immune system, less aches and pains, optimum blood pressure and cardiac function, better sleep-wake cycles

Social (a better you): better communication, more empathy, stronger interpersonal relationships, more likeability, more involvement as a team member

Psychological (a happier you): positive emotions and thoughts, more aware and awake, increased self-satisfaction, enhanced mood

It is this last component – the psychological benefits – that I want to focus on here.

Gratitude’s effect on the brain is profound. It:

1.???? Reduces toxic emotions: the two main components of the limbic system (responsible for our emotional responses) are the hippocampus and amygdala, and both are activated with feelings of gratitude.

2.???? Reduces pain: expressions of gratitude, such as writing in a daily gratitude journal, helps regulate dopamine, our “feel good” neurotransmitter. (More on this to come!)

3.???? Improves quality of sleep: gratitude activates our hypothalamus, which, in turn, regulates our bodily mechanisms, such as sleep.

4.???? Aids in stress regulation: it has been shown to lower the stress hormone, cortisol.

5.???? Reduces anxiety and depression: the prefrontal cortex of the brain regulates negative emotions, and gratitude helps increase its modulation.


Now, let’s get into the neuroscience nitty gritty. There are three primary chemicals associated with positive emotions, such as feelings of wellbeing.

·?????? Dopamine – the primary neurotransmitter within the brain’s “reward system” associated with the instantaneous rush of pleasure we feel in response to an experience, action or thought

·?????? Oxytocin – the neurotransmitter associated with reciprocal relationships and social connectedness

·?????? Serotonin – a more complicated neurotransmitter linked to long-term emotional processing

When we express and receive gratitude, our brains release dopamine and oxytocin for an instant pop of pleasure.? These “immediate neurotransmitters,” in turn, help foster serotine for a broader, longer-acting positive experience. ?

Our neural pathways are like muscles: the more we “practice” gratitude, the more our neural pathways are strengthened.? Dr. Jeff Snell, Dr. of Neuropsychology of QLI, in known to say, “What fires together, wires together.”? Our wellbeing becomes something we can control ourselves rather than waiting for external factors, like a raise or new car, to ignite.

How does one practice gratitude? Meditation, journaling, and interacting with others are common examples. Our brains are remarkable, adaptable organs. Consistent effort – practice – can actually “rewire” our brains to see and experience the world differently. What wonderful news to know if you are currently mired in negative, glass-is-half-empty thoughts you can flip the script and retrain your brain to view the world from a more positive, glass-is-half-full point of view.?

As Sean Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage says, “I don’t care if you’re a cup half full or cup half empty person.? What I care about is what you have in the pitcher you are holding to fill it up!”

And gratitude is a skill you can – and should – practice in the workplace as much as in your personal life because gratitude at work is associated with:

·?????? Increased employee efficiency, success, productivity, and loyalty

·?????? Risk taking, which fuels innovation, fosters creativity, and promotes continuous improvement

·?????? Feelings of safety so that employees more freely share ideas, present contradictory opinions, and voice problems

·?????? The ability to ask for help, resulting in more collaboration, increased teamwork, and enhanced delegation

Want to learn more?  
Join my conversation with Dr. Snell on Friday, Nov 24, 10am Central.         

Action for Traction:

1.???? Start off your gratitude journey with baby steps: keep a gratitude journal. Your journal can be a simple spiral notebook from your office supply cupboard or go fancy and buy a soft leatherbound journal to record your thoughts. The vehicle is not as important as the practice. Every night before you go to bed, take a moment to reflect on your day. Then write down three things – big or small – for which you are grateful. Have a particularly bad day? No problem. Write down you are grateful for your cozy bed, that the day is over, and that tomorrow is a fresh start.

2.???? Schedule a regular time once a week to write a note or send an email to a team member, thanking them for a contribution, a success, something they did to that eased your load, or just for the wonderful person they are.? The #1 reasons employees leave is they don’t feel appreciated.? You have the power to change that!

3.???? Download a FREE 21 Day Gratitude Journal from our 2022 Gratitude Summit.

Want to learn more about the brainscience of gratitude? Join my conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Snell Friday, November 24, 10am Central.

Together, we've got this!

Janyne

Pronounced jah-neen'

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