When we’re stressed and life feels busy and heavy at the same time, being grateful often isn’t the first think we’re concerned about. It can almost seem naïve to stop and give thanks when you’re searching for ways to feel less anxious, are grieving a loss, or just stretched beyond your capacity. Yet, that’s exactly when gratitude has the most impact. When your gratitude isn’t a matter of being in denial, but is actually a deliberate act of sincere appreciation, it can change the way we feel, see the world, and live. And it can literally happen immediately.
Confirmed by Science
Today’s neuroscience confirms what ancient traditions have always known: gratitude changes the brain. When we shift our thoughts away from what’s not working to what is working, we activate regions in the prefrontal cortex that are linked to empathy, motivation, and emotional regulation. Whether we’re thinking about the person who just brought us coffee, a friendly text from a friend, or a kind word from a colleague, we create a shift. That shift, even if it’s momentary, reduces the stress hormone cortisol and increases serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters associated with pleasure. That alone creates a sense of calm that allows us to think and act more clearly and wisely. It gives us pause.
Yet, gratitude isn’t so much a “feel good” exercise as it is a biological intervention. It stops cold the never ending worry loop in your brain. Energy that was fueling the fire of fear gets redirected to balance and problem-solving. Knowing that, gratitude practices are prevalently used in trauma recovery, leadership training, and even cardiac rehabilitation. And according to the science, they work.
First There Was Tradition
However, long before the science was established, just about every wisdom tradition taught that gratitude was the path to peace.
- Stoic philosophers taught that gratitude grounds us in the present, reminding us that contentment comes from how we interpret life, not what we own.
- Buddhist teachings use mindfulness to heighten appreciation for simple moments. A cup of tea and a quiet breath can serve as reminders of interconnection and impermanence.
- Christian mystics saw gratitude as a form of prayer: not a reaction to blessings, but a way of inviting them.
- Indigenous cultures often begin and end gatherings with thanksgiving. They didn’t do this with the formality of ritual, but as acknowledgment of human beings’ dependence on the earth and each other.
All different paths, all leading to the same understanding and appreciation.
Gratitude Reorients Us
What would happen if every morning when you woke up you named three things you were thankful for? I’ll tell you. In a short period of time you would have trained your brain to scan for positives instead of threats or pain points. You would be rewiring and widening your perception instead of allowing stress and negativity to narrow your focus. You’d start to appreciate smaller things in a much bigger way. And, if you’re not careful, that can lead you out of the storm and into the sunshine.
A warning, making this shift can be contagious. Gratitude begets gratitude. Expressed gratitude deepens connection. Appreciation, even just a simple but sincere “thank you,” can dissolve tension with…anyone. While gratitude won’t erase your pain, it will reorient your perspective. Often people practicing gratitude report moving from despair to hope, from isolation to feelings of belonging. That new perspective even can help you find meaning in life’s difficulties and strength in your own vulnerability.
Can’t Even
So, if today, or a day in the future, you just can’t even. Your positivity is no where to be found and just the thought of gratitude feels forced, practice gratitude anyway. It’s not about faking it, it’s about realizing that gratitude is also an act of defiance. What we’re talking about is defiance in the face of hopelessness. It’s you saying I know there is something here worth noticing, being grateful for, and worth appreciating.
Even in the moments of our worst grief, gratitude exists. It exists for what was shared, what was learned, what remains. Over time, that softens the edges of loss and lets healing begin.
A New Way of Seeing
If you practice gratitude on a consistent basis, it will completely alter the way you see life and the stress in your life. You will begin to see sufficiency where you once saw scarcity. You will begin to feel faith when you only felt fear. That’s not to say there won’t be stormy days, but that you will have the right perspective to navigate them. Who knows, maybe you won’t just develop gratitude in the storm, but also for the storm.
As you enter this holiday season, when we could be focusing our attention 24/7 on what’s wrong, gratitude is a radical act of presence and the best gift you can give yourself.
The post Gratitude in the Storm appeared first on The 100 Year Lifestyle®.
