Gratitude is a proven happiness technique. Our minds are quick to focus on the negative, but the positive is much easier to surpass. Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale teaches a class on happiness and well-being. It is the most popular class at Yale. So popular in fact that the made it into a Coursera course called The Science of Well-Being. Dr. Santos also has a podcast called The Happiness Lab, where she gives even more science based happiness techniques. I have taken her course and listen to her podcast. So let me share with you a few notes on gratitude. 

What is a Gratitude Practice? 

In essence, the approach is to take a moment each day to recognize some things, events, people, or concepts that you realize are beneficial or positive in your life, and for which you can feel appreciative.  When I work with young adults and college students in my Akron therapy office, I encourage them to come up with five examples every day for their gratitude practice. Some important things to remember are:

• Nothing is too small. Feeling thankful for that big promotion? Or that 100% on your bio test? Nice. But that might not happen every day. So drill down and acknowledge some of the simple things in your life: catching up with a friend, a co-worker doing you a favor, hysterical new episode of your favorite show, the fact that humans invented pizza, your car started this morning. Stuff you may take for granted, but let’s face it, this stuff isn’t guaranteed.

• Write it down. When you first start a gratitude practice, write down your examples each day. The act of putting thoughts in writing makes a stronger impression on the brain than just thinking of it. Pen and paper is ideal. Notes on your phone or computer are the next best thing. Eventually, going through it mentally may be just enough to do the trick.

• Make it easy to complete. This should not take a lot of time out of your day, but it’s important, so set aside some time for it. Maybe place a pad and pen bedside and jot your thoughts down before you go to bed. Or maybe it’s something you do at the kitchen table with your morning coffee, reflecting on the previous day. Everyone is different and it’s a matter of setting yourself up to make it work for you.

• It’s a practice. The very first definition of the word “practice” that Merriam-Webster dictionary offers up is “to do something again and again in order to become better at it.” This suggests that gratitude is a process that grows and evolves. Maybe in the beginning you try it one way and you’re having a hard time with it. So switch it up and figure out what works for you. Practice also implies effort. There may be days it’s hard to think of good things that have happened, or maybe you’re just tired. Try – even if you can only write down one thing that day instead of three. Good effort. Finally, practice means you are not expected to master it – essentially, imperfection. Okay, so you skipped it for a day or maybe even a week. Everything is not ruined. (See? There you go with that negative thinking.) You just pick up and start it back up again. Keep moving forward. Forward is the direction you are striving for.

If you tend to be wired to look out for what could go wrong or what hasn’t worked out right, a gratitude practice gets you to start becoming aware of what’s okay in your life or what might actually be pretty good. For many people I work with, they are pleasantly surprised to discover how they begin to tune into finding positive things that come up in the day. It becomes something they look forward to. This strategy, combined with other techniques in therapy, can be very effective in managing issues like anxiety and depression. So take a moment right now: what’s something you feel grateful for today?

Therapist in Akron Ohio for College Students

As a therapist who works primarily with young adults,  I understand campus life better than most private practice therapists.  I have experience helping other young adults navigate the stressful college years and I enjoy counseling college students.  I see a variety of people in my Akron, Ohio counseling office. I treat people with depression, anxiety, religious trauma and gender dysphoria.  Still have questions? Get answers to common questions about counseling here or simply schedule a counseling session today to get started!