How Does Gratitude Help With Mental Health?

“Gratitude” has been quite the buzzword in the last couple of decades, and for good reason. Appreciating the small things in life has been noted as being able to provide mental health benefits, so it’s no wonder people keep talking about gratitude as a way to improve mental health.

In fact, an Edinburgh University conducted an 8-week gratitude study on the topic. They asked participants to keep a weekly list of three things they were grateful for. This resulted in enhanced subjective wellbeing – including positive life satisfaction.

If you think you could use a pick-me-up, gratitude is a great way to go about it. From gratitude journals to mental exercises, see how gratitude can positively impact your mental health and wellbeing.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is a state of being thankful and appreciative. This can be about things you have, the people in your life, the opportunities you’ve earned and many other things. Practicing gratitude has been strongly linked to positive responses in the body and mind, as being thankful for what you have can improve one’s outlook on life.

How does gratitude help with mental health?

Gratitude can help with mental health by reducing the effects of negative thought cycles and even conditions such as anxiety and/or depression. It’s not about trying to “change your thoughts”, it’s about taking a step back and appreciating the smaller (as well as larger) things.

It improves overall mood

When we take a second to pause and be grateful for something or someone we have, it can boost our mood. Particularly when we feel like we’re in a rut.

It can reduce the effects of certain mental health conditions

Gratitude has been observed to reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and depression by helping individuals to centre their thoughts on the good in their lives – promoting a sense of calm. It’s worth noting that gratitude is by no means a cure-all (nor should it be seen that way), but rather, a supplementary self-practice alongside qualified mental health advice and/or counselling.

It can rewire our brains

There are real (and numerous) neuroscientific studies with evidence about the topic of gratitude! It’s been shown to rewire our brains by essentially training it to form a habit of being grateful and appreciative. A study by Wong et al asked individuals who were seeking mental health support to write letters of gratitude alongside their counselling sessions. The ones that did saw an improvement in mood and faster recovery rates.

It can help with mindfulness

We’ve spoken about the benefits of mindfulness numerous times but essentially, mindfulness encourages us to be in the here and now. Practicing gratitude can greatly aid this, as it allows us to really look at what we have in our lives currently to be grateful for.

When can gratitude be harmful?

While gratitude has numerous benefits, in some cases, it can do more harm than good if not utilised correctly.

A way practicing gratitude can be harmful is when it’s used to dismiss negative thoughts and thought cycles. This can hurt an individual greatly by means of ‘dismissing’ an individual’s lived experiences, especially if the thoughts are linked to past trauma(s). Gratitude can also be harmful by:

• Gaslighting oneself

• Avoiding issues that are affecting your daily life

• Ignoring your own true feelings

• Using it as an “excuse” to remain in unhealthy situations or dynamics

If you find you are feeling worse after practicing gratitude (be it through your thoughts, journalling or a combination), this can be a strong indicator of a deeper issue. In these instances, it can be a good idea to seek professional counselling, especially if your thoughts and feelings are affecting your quality of life.

How to practice gratitude

There are various ways to practice gratitude. It’s worth trying a few things to see what really sticks with your routine and complements your mental health journey.

1. Stop and think the next time you say “thank you”

A simple yet effective way to practice gratitude is to pause and reflect when you next say thank you. This could be to yourself or to someone else. Truly have a think about what you’re thankful for. Has someone given you an opportunity you’ve been chasing and wanting for quite some time? Has a situation or person made your day? Do you have your past self to be thankful for that’s made life a little easier these days?

2. Write it down

Gratitude journals are one of the most popular journal formats sold in high street stationary shops and online marketplaces like Etsy, and for good reason. The act of physically writing down what we’re grateful for can be therapeutic, and it actualises our thoughts into something we can see.

3. Reframe the situation

Not to be confused with “changing how you think”, reframing a situation to practice gratitude can help improve your mental health in the long-run. For example, if something hasn’t gone well at work, it can be all too easy to repeat to yourself that you’ve had a bad day. This can be reframed into thoughts like “today may have been a tough day, but I have an exciting dinner to look forward to”, or “today was tough, I’m grateful to have colleagues who support me”.

4. Share your gratitude with someone else

Sharing your gratitude to (or for) someone else can be a great way to practice this amazing technique. Whether it’s a quick text or phone call, verbally telling someone you’re grateful for them can improve your relationship with the person, as well as actualise a positive thought verbally.

How an Employee Assistance Programme can help

Sometimes gratitude can feel difficult, hence why some people give up on the idea altogether. If you’re struggling to deal with a particular issue that’s causing distress, or need ongoing support with a mental health issue, a counsellor with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) can help.

Our counsellors here at HA | Wisdom Wellbeing can support individuals in practicing gratitude by providing them with resources and healthy coping strategies to use in times of need. Plus, our EAP is BACP accredited and incredibly helpful in addressing underlying issues that might hinder one’s ability to express gratitude.

Conclusion 

Gratitude is, in theory, simple to practice. It offers numerous mental health benefits when used correctly. It’s important to use gratitude as an aid to improve wellbeing, as opposed to seeing it as a one-stop solution. It’s also important to recognise that practicing gratitude may not work for everyone and guidance may be needed by a certified mental health professional. With the right tools, guidance and habit forming, practicing gratitude for mental health offers numerous benefits for the body and mind.

Frequently asked questions about gratitude

What is the science behind gratitude journals?

The consistent practice of writing down the things you’re grateful for has a positive mental and even physical effect. It can help an individual shift from a negative mindset to a more constructive, neutral or even positive way of thinking, which only improves with time and consistency. From a neurological perspective, this can activate the brain's reward pathways and releasing "feel-good" neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin. In turn, this can regulate stress hormones like cortisol, calming the body and reducing the impact of stress.

What are the 4 A's of gratitude?

The four A’s of gratitude are Awareness, Appreciation, Acknowledgment, and Action. Each A respectively, links to the consciousness the positive things (both big and small) that happen to you, cherishing what’s good, recognising the good in people and/or situations and then expressing the gratitude (verbally, thoughtfully or through journalling).

What blocks gratitude?

Things like scepticism, poor mental health and perceived negative situations can block the idea of gratitude. This is because an individual may perceive little, or nothing to be grateful for in their current mental state. There are other factors such as upbringing, mental health conditions, feeling a lack of time and many other reasons that also contribute to the block in experiencing gratitude.

Is gratitude an emotion or a feeling?

Gratitude can be viewed as both an emotion and a feeling – as well as a trait a person holds. As an emotional response, it can be triggered by positive experiences. While it may be fleeting, the mental processing and conscious awareness of this positive state is what is experienced as the “feeling” of gratitude.