A FEW weeks ago, I wrote that simple, everyday things such as cleanliness can have a big impact on mental health– trying to extinguish the idea that massive steps always need to be taken for improvement.
I thought I’d focus on gratitude today as psychologists often say “gratitude is the key to happiness.” Practising daily gratitude is so simple yet yields tremendous results. I constantly recommend it to my clients and it has improved my own quality of life.

Mountains of research have determined that gratitude is directly linked to overall life satisfaction and happiness. When I ask my clients to make gratitude lists, I watch them smile a bit more every week, appreciating the small things and letting the even smaller things go.

Gratitude is simply an appreciation for what you have. It is about being thankful for what you were given rather than being resentful for what you were not. It makes us more optimistic and less materialistic while increasing our self-esteem, confidence and empathy. It helps us to experience a wider range of positive emotions, allows us to reminisce on good memories; improves our relationships and overall, both mental and physical health.

Studies show that people who report being grateful for their health (of any kind) are more likely to take care of it. They are more likely to eat, sleep and exercise well, more so than the rest of the population. In terms of mental health, gratitude minimises jealously, envy, anger and regret. Instead, it promotes self-esteem and confidence as it reduces social comparisons. This, of course, further benefits our relationships. A specific study showed that couples who express gratitude to each other are less likely to get divorced. This is due to the appreciation of course but it is mainly because if one expresses gratitude, the other is more willing and patient to listen to criticism as well.

For working relationships, supervisors who express gratitude to their employees report harder working, motivated and focused staff.
Students who express gratitude in journals are more likely to have better grades, play a team sport and have a wider social circle and support system. Findings also prove that gratitude improves goal achievement. Participants were asked to write a list of short term goals they would like to achieve over the following two months. Only half were asked to write daily gratitude lists as well. Those who wrote the gratitude lists were more successful in accomplishing their goals.

Gratitude can even minimise the possibility of developing mental illnesses. A 2006 study conducted on War Veterans found that those who wrote daily gratitude lists were less likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than those who did not. Research also shows physical symptoms of gratitude. Those who make gratitude lists and therefore experience that wider range of positive emotions have overall better immune function. Specifically, there have lower rates of high or low blood sugar, blood pressure, heart or coronary diseases and well as the outcome of cancer treatments.

How can we practice gratitude?
This is a really simple process. It is about taking a few minutes to be thankful for the little things we tend to take for granted. You can be grateful for absolutely anything. From your family and friends to the water on this earth. However, please try to be as specific as possible- to allow room for more gratitude. For example –instead of saying “my family”, you can say “I’m grateful that I got to spend time with my family last weekend” or “I’m grateful for the hug I received from a family member this morning.”

Start a gratitude list right now with just three things you are grateful for. Every day, write one new thing and then re-read the entire list. Every day! This really allows us to literally count our blessings. You can also keep a full journal jotting down good events that happened throughout the day. This develops positive mental health through good memories and appreciation.
Write thank-you notes expressing your appreciation for anything special anyone has done for you. I know we are in the digital era and texting is more likely but there is just something wonderful about old fashioned notes. Showing appreciation for others allows us to easier show it to ourselves.
Pray to whatever higher power you choose. People commonly use prayer to develop and nurture gratitude.

Develop and stick to a practice. When you are having dinner with your loved ones, make it a habit of everyone saying one thing they are grateful for that day. Guyana doesn’t celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday but if you do this, every day can be thanksgiving.
A good way to encourage gratitude is to imagine our lives without what we have. We have to remember that there will always be someone who has less and more than we do. Put things into perspective.

Gratitude is also increased when we stop finding fault. Complaining is natural to us as human beings but it doesn’t have to be. We can pay attention to our words in an attempt to improve them and subsequently our mood and self-esteem. Replace it with a more positive/ optimistic outlook. Example, if your bus is late one day which makes you late for your destination, rather than complaining, maybe be grateful that it only happened once that week or you now have some additional time for yourself. The only thing complaining does is allow us to relive the situation as well as the stress and frustration that came along with it.

It is helpful to view gratitude as a very successful coping mechanism. It doesn’t matter where the stress is coming from- family, school, relationships, work etc, gratitude can help them all.

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com
If you are interested in personal counselling sessions with me, please call or message +592 623 0433
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