Ways to Use Gratitude to Reduce Your Anxiety
Written by Heather Blanck, LPC/CADC
Therapist at Vine Counseling Center
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is a positive emotion that encompasses being appreciative, thankful, and present in the moment. Experiencing gratitude causes you to feel appreciative for something or someone in your life and respond with feelings of compassion, warmth, and other forms of kindness. There are countless mental and physical health benefits related to gratitude, one of which includes a reduction in anxiety.
How does gratitude reduce anxiety?
There are several ways that practicing gratitude can help minimize or even eliminate anxiety. Research shows that practicing gratitude can help rewire the brain by teaching it to eliminate triggers causing the anxiety in the first place. Ultimately, the new thoughts replace the old anxious thought patterns and help with reframing them altogether. Additionally, gratitude allows you to see past your anxiety and become more optimistic. Since gratitude trains the brain to see things more positively, you automatically become more optimistic, seeing the good in more things and being able to reframe negative thought patterns. Finally, gratitude can reduce stress. Although anxiety and stress are not the same thing, it is easier to feel anxious when you are stressed. Research has shown that the mindfulness component of cultivating gratitude can help decrease your cortisol levels (stress hormone) which has a direct correlation to stress reduction.
How do I practice gratitude?
The list of ideas to practice gratitude is endless. A general internet search or typing in the word “gratitude” on a site like Pinterest will offer an abundance of options from which to choose. The list, however, can feel a bit overwhelming especially for “Grateful Beginners.” So, to reduce some of the stress of where to begin, here are five ways to start.
- Journal – Write about three good things at the end of each day. They don’t need to be written in a fancy notebook with a special pen. The notes section in your phone is a great place to record this. A basic spiral notebook is good enough too. The three things should vary somewhat from day to day to keep things interesting and to encourage you to keep looking for new things for which to be grateful. Some examples include something nice I saw someone do today, one good thing that happened to me today, someone or something I was thankful for today, something about today I’ll always want to remember, or my favorite part of today.
- Meditate – Use guided meditation to help focus your mind and eliminate the outside noise. Anyone new to meditation should start small. A five-minute guided gratitude meditation is a good starting point. These can be found for free on YouTube or through a mobile app like Insight Timer or Spotify. Don’t overthink it but do listen to a voice that you find pleasant. There is nothing worse than trying to maintain focus and practice gratitude while listening to a voice that is grinding on your last nerve! Keep in mind that it’s normal for your mind to wander during meditation. The point is to recognize that it’s wandering and to bring it back to focus on the meditation. As with anything, consistent practice will help you improve this technique.
- Be creative – Decorate an empty mason jar or shoe box with positive words, phrases, or photos cut out from magazines. Use colorful paint, markers, or glitter to make it special. Place the container somewhere central in your home (the kitchen is usually a great place accessed by all members of your family if you want others to join in on the activity). Whenever something positive happens or someone wants to show appreciation, write it down on a small piece of paper, fold it up, and put it in the container. Set aside time at the end of each week, month, or even year to be reminded of all the positivity happening in your life or in the lives of your family.
- Move your body – Go for a walk alone without headphones. Pay attention to things around you and find the beauty and gratitude in them. Notice the birds chirping, the street lights twinkling, and the smell of a fire in the air on a warm summer or cold winter night. Be mindful, focusing on your five senses. Be thankful as you walk.
- Challenge yourself – If you are up for something bigger, try a 30-day gratitude challenge. There are many examples online to print and fill out. Keep in mind, the goal is not perfection. If you miss a day or two, it’s okay. The point is to increase the number of days you practice gratitude. Of course, if you complete all 30 days, that’s a great accomplishment, too!
Overall, gratitude can be a valuable tool used to reduce anxiety in unique and remarkable ways. Evidence shows that the benefits of this practice can be felt as quickly as 4 weeks and that the long-term benefits will continue to compound. Sometimes gratitude alone is not the complete answer depending on the significance of an individual’s anxiety levels. As with any mental illness or issue, speaking to your health care provider or a licensed therapist can provide additional support and aid in the struggle with anxiety.
