Hi again Blog! During the first week of school, we had the privilege of having Joe Pierre Jr., Chief for the ʔaq̓am Community, speak at our orientation. One of my key takeaways from his discussion with our program cohorts was his daily practice of morning gratitude before starting his day. He started our morning by having everyone greet and be greeted in a circle, followed by sharing what we were grateful for. He then spoke to how implementing this gratitude practice set his day off on a positive note creating a climate for an overall successful day. It was this interaction that prompted me to investigate gratitude practices further to see how it promotes mindfulness.
Gratitude Benefits:
Gratitude practices consist of intentionally expressing and focusing on the positive factors in our own lives. Shifting our perspective away from what we may be lacking or what is wrong to what we appreciate or what we have in the present. Below I have linked some benefits linked to gratitude practicing from “The Science of Gratitude” paper released by the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of Berkeley (2018):
Individualistic benefits:
- Improved physical health – promotes healthy lifestyle choices
- Improved emotional well-being – self-esteem, self-improvement motivation, protective against burnout and negative emotions
- Promotes benefits for psychological challenges – mental illness, trauma and addiction
- Promotes developing virtues – patience, wisdom, humility
Social Benefits:
- Increased prosocial behavior – act with empathy and care for others
- Relationship benefits – create, strengthen, and maintain social relationships
- Workplace benefits – more fulfillment, improved performance, improved workplace relationships
My Mindful Habit of the Week:
For my first weekly mindfulness strategy I will be implementing a daily gratitude journaling practice first thing in the morning by writing down three (or more) thing I am grateful for. This will ensure that prior to beginning my day I will be focusing on all of the good things I have in my life rather than focusing on my ever expanding “To Do” list!
My Takeaways:
After practicing gratitude journaling this past week, I have noticed it has been a powerful tool in aiding with my stress management. Balancing six courses, two jobs, and personal responsibilities can be very overwhelming. However, by starting each day by taking inventory of all the wonderful people, places, memories, and things I have in my life to be grateful for, I have started to notice a shift in my mindset. I have found myself being more optimistic and focusing on each little win, rather than being defeated by my ever-growing list of tasks and daily challenges. Throughout my days in times of stress, I was able to mentally reflect on all the blessings in my life I took stock of earlier and use those as motivation to keep growing through the challenging times! I plan to keep up with this practice and make it a fundamental part of my morning routine ♡
Next week I will be looking into how I can integrate gratitude practices in classroom settings, so stay tuned!