Embracing gratitude and actively practicing it can help you regulate your parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the brain that can stop you from going into a panicky fight or flight mode if it senses danger. Sometimes just our thoughts alone about a situation are enough to trigger this system. The way we conceive of our state of affairs can tell our nervous system to go into over-drive. We end up with a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, a warm face, butterflies in our stomach, possibly combined with a low, depressed mood. If you jump to worst case scenarios/”catastrophize” about situational stressors, your thoughts will drag you down and anxiously around & around.
Thinking about things you feel truly grateful for can help you to instead feel relaxed, calm and will bring on a happier mood. It can be as simple as feeling thankful for food in your cupboard, a friendly dog to play with, warm socks on your feet, your baby niece’s laugh, shared time with friends, a positive memory of your grandparents, or your ability to read this blog article. Perhaps you feel most grateful and spiritually connected when in nature. Is that true for you? Get. Out. Into. Nature.
I’m grateful for the plants I take care of in both my living space and inside my office at the clinic. As difficult as being a therapist in an impoverished, over-taxed community clinic has been throughout the years, I remain grateful that I have a career in which I hope to help others. Music. I’m grateful for that, deeply. Art that blows my mind or opens it in some way, I feel thankful that it exists. Public libraries, travel, cats, smelling flowers…
Pick a list of 3-4 things to start. Write them down. Say them out loud to yourself, to the Universe, say “Thank you” in your mind as you breathe in deeply to the count of 4. Say “I am at peace” as you exhale deeply to the count of 5. Practice this breath-work over & over & over again. Bring fresh oxygen to your brain, make it work for you.
