Friday Positivity with Crissie Mullins - Gratitude

Thinking about and talking about what we are grateful for can feel unnatural in a time when things are tough. It may even seem like a protective measure to be negative. During these uncertain times, it's easy to find things that are not going well in the news and in conversation.

It is good to be aware of what is going on. It's also important to do what we feel is important so that we have done what we can. But beyond that, it is helpful to practice gratitude actively to increase our resilience. 

According to Psychology Today, "Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before." [1] Resilience helps individuals cope with life's difficulties and can be cultivated through gratitude.[2] It's realistic that difficult things happen in life.

Right now is not an easy time frame. But by taking time out of our schedule to journal about and talk about the good things in life, we can increase our ability to handle the inevitable negatives. It has been found that writing down just a few sentences of gratitude per week can have lasting effects (10 weeks later) on optimism. [3]

There are difficult things going on, but also good things, and harnessing these positive aspects of our life through gratitude can really help as we cope with our changing circumstances.