The Power of Gratitude

Throughout our lives it’s guaranteed that we will encounter difficult times, trauma, and challenges. When we do, we can start to think about all the negative things in our lives. We can lose focus on the good and positive things we have in our lives. The longer we stay focussed on the negative, the bad or the challenges, the more our world may start to feel like a dark and dangerous place. This might tip the scales on the mental health continuum into the unhealthy side, which may result in requiring specific, professional, mental health intervention.

But it doesn’t have to follow that trajectory. There are things that we can do on a regular basis that can help reduce the psychological and emotional impacts of our negative experiences.

• We can look after our physical health by eating well, exercising regularly, having a good sleep routine, having regular check-ups with your GP, and watching what and how much we use alcohol or other drugs.
• We can look after our emotional health by talking to friends and family, building and engaging in social activities or engaging in activities just for the enjoyment of it.
• We can look after our psychological health by engaging in regular social activities, resting, talking to someone about the stressors in our lives, and using mindfulness and meditation practices.

But there is one other thing that we can do daily if we choose to. It doesn’t have to be a big, formal or arduous chore. It can be as simple as just taking note of the positives in your life. The things that you feel grateful for. As mentioned, when we are surrounded by stress and negativity, it can become normal to focus on the negatives and you can start to lose sight of the positives. But, by simply noticing the positives and taking the time to focus on them, even if only briefly, you can reduce the impact of the negative stressors. This will calm the central nervous system and can break the cycle of negative thought patterns that your situation may elicit.

I personally practice gratitude at least once a day, usually in the morning. I pause for a moment and think about my life and what influences there are or what I have going on.

I then intentionally stop thinking about what is going wrong and focus on what is going right. I know that some mornings this can be difficult, and I know that some mornings finding the positives in my life can be difficult. However, the more I practice gratitude the easier it becomes and the less of a challenge it is to refocus from the negative to the positive (a side effect of practicing gratitude). I then journal what I am grateful for. However, you don’t have to journal to get the positive effects of practicing gratitude, but it sure does help.

Practicing gratitude doesn’t only mean noticing the big things in our lives. Some days we may only be grateful for waking up and having the opportunity to address whatever is going wrong at that time. It may be that we get to see a loved one. It may be for the rain or the sun, which regularly comes up in my conversations with farmers. After all, where would we be without the sun and rain? Our crops wouldn’t grow, and our livestock would go hungry or thirsty. Practicing gratitude may also be through expressing thanks for something someone has done or is helping you with. Saying thank you promotes those same feelings of gratitude inside us as well as the people that we are thanking. It also nurtures the social connection with those around us.

So how do I practice gratitude, you may ask?

1. Pause whatever it is you are doing. (You can close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths if you wish – this helps break the connection with the negative thoughts).
2. Think about something positive in your life (big or small).
3. Focus on it, hold it in your mind, think about how it makes you feel.
4. Allow yourself to feel these feelings, regardless of what is going on around you.
5. If you wish, write down what you are grateful for, and if you are inclined, write down how it made you feel (I don’t always write it down but I do try to journal daily).
6. During the day if you are feeling overwhelmed, remember the feelings of gratitude (if you wrote it down, read it as often as you need or can).
7. Don’t overthink it, keep it simple. the easier something is, the more likely we are to do it.

Here’s an example from my gratitude journal today (as I write this article):

1. I am grateful for being able to do the work that I do and to be a support to others. Helping others makes me feel useful and happy inside that I have made a positive impact.
2. I am grateful for the experiences in my life, both good and bad, because they have influenced the man that I am today. This makes me feel happy because I believe that I am a caring and compassionate person who wishes to make a positive difference in the world. I also feel relieved of the negative feelings from my past hurts and traumas because they have contributed to creating the person I have become.
3. I am grateful for living in rural Australia because I have fresh air to breathe and space to grow. This makes me feel safe and joyful as my health and well-being are important to me and I haven’t always had the privilege of space and fresh air.

You don’t have to do it as formally as me, I have been practicing gratitude for years and have developed a style that works for me. Play around with it, find out what works for you. Find a way to express your gratitude daily and enjoy the experience of being grateful.

If you struggle with this, reach out to Rural Aid’s mental health and well-being team. One of our skilled and compassionate counsellors can help you to develop practicing gratitude in a way that works for you.

Rural Aid Counselling Intake Line – 1300 17 55 94

Or email me: Darren.devlin@ruralaid.org.au