Gratitude: Meaning And Definition

Life is full of blessings and challenges. At times, appreciating the positive things in our lives can be challenging. However, expressing gratitude may be important for finding balance. Gratitude may even be a protective factor against a variety of mental health conditions, like anxiety. Below, we’ll explore what gratitude is, why it’s important, and a few ways you can begin to cultivate gratitude in your life.

What is gratitude?

In general, gratitude refers to a deep appreciation for life and the experiences and things we have in it. To express gratitude, it may be helpful to understand the value of what we are thankful for and the role these things have in our lives.

Expressing gratitude usually involves appreciating our life's journey for what it is and not wishing it was something different. Sincere, genuine gratitude may have positive health implications, opening us up to a loving acceptance of our reality that may reduce stress levels.

By practicing gratitude, researchers believe we can improve our mental and physical health and bring about greater balance in our lives. By being grateful for what we have rather than focusing on what we don't have, we may become more mindful and present in each moment.

This may allow us to reduce stress and anxiety levels while increasing our clarity and purpose in life. Expressing gratitude can connect us more deeply with ourselves and those around us, which may create meaningful relationships built upon trust, love, and appreciation.

When we take the time to practice gratitude daily, it may shift our perspective in a positive direction and help us recognize what we are grateful for and how these elements of life bring us joy. Gratitude tends to shift our focus from negative circumstances to positive elements of the situation at hand. This recognition of the positive moments may help us develop more psychological resiliency in the face of hard times, while also improving overall well-being and confidence. 

Gratitude and mental health

Gratitude is something that can be thought and felt. This mental and physical connection may be one of the reasons researchers believe that regularly expressing gratitude is often linked to improved mental health and increased positive emotions. 

Practicing gratitude can:

• Improve relationships
• Increase joy and happiness
• Improve physical and mental health
• Enhance self-esteem
• Enhance emotional management skills

Gratitude is sometimes referred to as a known protective factor, meaning that it may prevent the onset of a negative circumstance or mental health condition. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are generally eight dimensions of well-being that usually need to be addressed to maintain good mental health. These dimensions typically include the following:

• Emotional
• Environmental
• Financial
• Intellectual
• Occupational
• Physical
• Social 
• Spiritual

Gratitude is a practice that can help you appreciate and consider each aspect of this list. Doing so may help individuals connect to something that feels greater than themselves, possibly leading to more emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. 

Research on gratitude

Various studies in positive psychology research have investigated the role of gratitude on mental health. Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that usually focuses on the strengths, virtues, and positive aspects of life. It often studies the psychological processes that can lead to improved well-being, such as: 

• Resilience
• Optimism
• Purposefulness
• Self-compassion
• Secure relationships
• Effective communication skills
• Self-efficacy

This view of psychology emphasizes building strengths rather than focusing solely on alleviating symptoms of mental health challenges.

Studies have shown that consistently expressing deep and sincere gratitude can stimulate brain circuits associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. 

Gratefulness has often been linked to increased empathy and understanding of other perspectives due to its ability to balance the perspectives we adopt based on stress, hurry, and social pressure.

Additionally, expressed gratitude may reduce stress levels by helping us focus on what we already have, rather than what is missing in our lives. Expressing thankfulness can help us cultivate a sense of appreciation for the world around us, which can be a powerful antidote to chronic stress and its potential negative health consequences.

How to practice gratitude

Cultivating gratitude can be seen as an evidence-based method for building stress resiliency and maintaining balance in one’s life. The constant game of reaching for things you don’t have and never feeling satisfied can be exhausting. Practicing habits that help to ground us and remind us of what we are grateful for may be essential aspects of a healthy lifestyle in the modern age. 

Here are a few ways you may gently introduce gratitude into your life.

Keep a gratitude journal

Keeping a gratitude journal can be an effective way to cultivate a more optimistic mindset and remind yourself of your life's positive aspects. Writing down what you are thankful for each day can help you focus on the good things happening around you and increase your overall feelings of contentment.

Regular writing may foster better self-awareness by enabling you to become more attuned to your thoughts and feelings and helping you recognize certain patterns. This practice often leads to bigger realizations, such as recognizing how lucky you have been throughout your life despite any challenges you may have faced. Moreover, it may help you realize the value of some of your tougher life experiences and how they may have encouraged personal growth. 

Cultivate a gratitude journaling practice

Gratitude meditation can often help you cultivate a sense of appreciation for the present moment. Gratitude meditation generally involves acknowledging and appreciating what one has rather than focusing on what one does not have. 

In a study on the effects of gratitude-focused meditation methods, researchers found that those who practiced gratitude meditation regularly usually experienced increased positive attitude and emotional regulation abilities.

Practicing gratitude with a therapist 

Therapists may use gratitude exercises with their clients to help them connect with positive emotions.

Online therapy may offer individuals who would like to implement gratitude practices into their lives a more attainable method of mental health treatment. For those living with mental health challenges, the stress and anxiety related to sharing their emotions in an unfamiliar setting may deter them from seeking treatment. Being able to attend therapy from the comfort and familiarity of their homes may make it easier to seek professional help.

In one study, researchers investigated the ability of internet-based gratitude interventions to improve repetitive negative thinking (RNT) in individuals who experienced depression and anxiety. When the study concluded, it was discovered that internet-based methods involving a focus on gratitude were generally an effective treatment for RNT as well as depression and anxiety.