There is a lot of “buzz” around gratitude these days, and for good reason: our practice of gratitude is directly related to our stress levels, mindset, and ability to get and stay motivated. When practiced consistently, gratitude can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and even reap physical health benefits. All it takes is 5-10 minutes per day and you could see lasting improvements in your overall wellbeing.
Gratitude and Stress
Practiced mindfully, gratitude can greatly reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels in the brain. Furthermore, when you express gratitude—or are on the receiving end of a friend’s gratitude—your body produces several “feel good” hormones, including DHEA, serotonin, and dopamine. Practicing gratitude can lower your stress levels while improving your mood—a total win-win.
A Grateful Mindset
Now more so than ever, keeping a positive mindset is a challenge. It’s more important than ever to refocus and talk positively, expressing gratitude even when the world seems to be spiraling out of control around us. Focusing on all that is wrong will only serve to perpetuate feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and emptiness. By changing our mindset to one of gratitude—even for something as simple as a cup of afternoon coffee enjoyed on a sunny patio—you’re doing more than just improving your mood at that moment…we’re actually retraining your brain to develop new neural pathways that default to optimism!
Build Momentum to Stay Grateful
When you express gratitude, it makes you feel good, so you become motivated to continue expressing even more gratitude! Likewise, feeling appreciated makes you want to continue doing whatever you did to receive that gratitude in the first place. Gratitude—whether you are giving or receiving it—sets off a “pay it forward” response that stands to benefit you…and the whole world around you!
How to Get Grateful
There are a number of ways to integrate gratitude practice into your lives.
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- Write a thank you note
- Keep a gratitude journal and write in it daily
- Meditate
- Engage in spiritual practice, if appropriate
- Reach out to say thank you to the people you appreciate in your life
If Gratitude Isn’t Enough
Those suffering from severe clinical depression or psychiatric disorders will likely need more than a consistent gratitude practice to alleviate their symptoms, though practicing gratitude is a fantastic supplement to a clinically-based depression treatment program. When first-line treatments like talk therapy and medication don’t work, ketamine infusions could offer hope. Ketamine is effective for 70% of patients and works rapidly to alleviate symptoms. Request a free consultation at VIP Ketamine Clinics today.