Role-modeling Thankfulness

Thankfulness

We live busy, stressful lives. It can be easy to default to feeling overwhelmed and negative. The good news is that research overwhelmingly shows that regularly practicing gratitude/thankfulness has significant social, physical, and psychological benefits!

Benefits of Being Thankful

Gratitude, or being mindful of what we are thankful for, can bring us happiness by reducing anxiety and depression. Practicing thankfulness strengthens the immune system, reduces symptoms of illness and allow us to sleep better. In addition, thankfulness can help us to feel less bothered by aches and pains. Practicing thankfulness can also help us strengthen relationships, by making forgiveness more likely, and helps us express compassion for others.

Positive Impact on Children

Research demonstrates that gratitude is healthful for kids. “Children as young as six or seven are more generous when they’re feeling grateful, and grateful adolescents tend to be more resilient. When 10-19 year olds practice gratitude, they report greater life satisfaction and more positive emotion, and they feel more connected to their community”

Strategies for Practicing Gratitude and Thankfulness

Given the evidence in favor of gratitude, it seems logical that we bring greater attention to what we are thankful for. Adults can role-model cultivating gratefulness, and we can involve our children in many different ways.

Here are practical strategies for inviting more gratitude into your family’s life:

1.      Keep a gratitude journal. This requires that you scan your day – everyday – for the good. Scanning and documenting three to five good things daily makes you more aware of moments you might otherwise skip over without appreciation. The regular practice of keeping and reviewing a gratitude journal can magnify positive emotions. You can share your journals with your kids and help them create their own.

2.      Practice gratitude with family members. This might take the form of sharing good things with family members every day, perhaps during a family meal. You can help your kids get in the habit of noticing and savoring moments that they recognize as special.

3.      Write a “gratitude letter” to someone who you have not previously thanked. Research shows that gratitude letters provide strong and long-lasting happiness boosts, especially when hand delivered. You can encourage your children to write gratitude letters to friends, relatives, and teachers.

4.      Keep a “gratitude jar.” Designate a special jar in your house for gratitude notes that can be written spontaneously throughout the day or during a designated time. Alternatively, you can drop coins in the jar as you acknowledge the good. As a family, you can identify a place to “donate gratitude” periodically.

Practicing gratitude is like building a muscle. While it may feel awkward or tedious at first, the benefits of a regular practice will inevitably show through. We owe it to ourselves and our kids to pay attention and notice the abundance in our lives.