Last wee, we chatted about gratitude and mental health!
I thought it may be nice to continue that chat!
How Gratitude Benefits Your Mental Health
Gratitude isn’t just something that makes you feel good in the moment—it can have lasting benefits for your overall well-being. Here’s how:
1. It Can Help Reduce Symptoms of Depression: If you’ve ever felt down or struggled with depression, you know how hard it can be to see anything positive. But research shows that regularly practicing gratitude can help reduce symptoms of depression. Focusing on the good, no matter how small, helps shift your thinking from negative to positive. I know this can be hard since depression is a little voice on our shoulder that says "here's all the bad things that happened/that you did... you're so awful.." and it can be hard to feel grateful! Try to start small- what is ONE thing that you are grateful today?
2. It Boosts Your Happiness and Life Satisfaction: Gratitude can also make you feel more satisfied with your life. By appreciating the little things—like a good cup of coffee or a sunny day—you start to feel more content and happy. Over time, this adds up to greater overall life satisfaction.
3. It Improves Self-Esteem: When you practice gratitude, you not only recognize the good in others but in yourself as well. This helps nurture a positive self-image. Instead of focusing on what you think is lacking, gratitude reminds you of your strengths and accomplishments, boosting your self-esteem. As someone that struggled with low self esteem for SO LONG (I have 2 geniuses that I grew up), this is huge for me. Being able to think of the things that I have been able to do is hard AND important! I also don't want the boys to learn that overly focusing on their own or other's negatives is the way to go! So I try to practice and show them the importance of being grateful to others AND to ourselves!
4. It Helps You Manage Your Emotions: Gratitude can also make it easier to manage difficult emotions. It helps you become more mindful of your feelings and gives you a positive perspective on life, which can help you respond more calmly to anger, frustration, or sadness. What can be helpful is to think: am I reacting or responding? Reacting means that it's more of a knee jerk reaction. Responding is thinking before doing what you are going to do/sad.
With these in mind, let's jump into this week's Therapist Mama Bear Tip!
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