21d • General discussion
Combat anxiety and depression with Gratitude
A common theme that arises in my psychotherapy practice as well as with coaching clients is the notion of gratitude as a strategy for shifting mindset.
Dr. Ashley J. Smith writes in her article, "Gratitude: A Mental Health Game Changer", that gratitude trains your brain to notice and value the little things that often go overlooked. That simple shift in mindset has the potential to transform the way you experience life. Regular gratitude practice is correlated to higher happiness, stronger wellbeing, and even better health. It also helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger. If you struggle with your mood or feel weighed down, gratitude can be one of the most powerful practices to lean into.
This is something I have known and practiced for decades now. Particularly when things seem dark and I feel overwhelmed, I turn to gratitude. I have engaged in this practice in many variations:
- Begin and end the day with identifying five things I'm grateful for - this helped me to make gratitude a habit.
- Focus on my five senses as I express gratitude. "Today, I saw a hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower in my garden. I heard the bees buzzing about as they collected pollen. I smelled the fragrance of my roses. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face. I tasted the sweet and tangy flavour of a freshly picked cherry tomato." Drilling down on a more granular level makes me appreciate my experiences more deeply.
- Practicing saying, "Thank You" wherever I go. When shopping, when someone opens a door, even when someone is polite in traffic. Uttering the words reinforces the feeling of gratitude.
- I learned my latest gratitude practice from Ken Honda at this year's Mindvalley University: "Arigato in; arigato out". This is teaching me to appreciate the value of money to bless me, but also to bless others.
I encourage you to try these and other gratitude practices to help rewire your brain for positivity and to shift your mindset. Should you need a structure to launch into your gratitude practice, I quietly published a 30-day Gratitude Journal last year, which will help you to solidify your focus on expressing gratitude every day. You can click the link here to get your copy.
Warmly,
Julie
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Combat anxiety and depression with Gratitude
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