DETROIT – Thanksgiving is a time when we traditionally focus on what we’re thankful for, but experts say there are many benefits to practicing gratitude year-round.
Local 4 spoke with Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health, about how to make gratitude part of our everyday lives.
“Research shows us that gratitude significantly boosts our mental and physical well-being.
It can only improve our mood, right? And so it really is about that shift. It could help ease anxiety and depression. Not only that, but it can help support cardiovascular health and even contribute to us living longer.”
Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health
Part of the benefits comes from increased dopamine and serotonin, the ‘feel good’ hormones.
But Jensen said that to reap the full rewards, you need to practice gratitude regularly.
“It is a grounding practice that can improve our emotion regulation and our ability to cope. And so when we practice gratitude, it’s already setting us up to have that foundation of a positive mindset,” said Jensen.
So how do you ‘practice gratitude’ in your life?
“Practicing gratitude looks different for everyone. I think it really is about locating a practice that feels right for you.
And so what works for me might not work for you, but it’s really about consistency when it comes to gratitude practice. They call it a practice for a reason.
We’re truly not going to experience the benefits of gratitude unless we’re committed to it.”
Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health
But that commitment doesn’t need to be time-consuming. One technique Jensen recommends is focusing on micro-moments.
“On a daily basis, we can focus on asking ourselves simply, ‘What am I grateful for today?’ Or ‘What felt good for me in the last 24 hours?’” said Jensen.
Journaling is another option, but there are also high-tech alternatives.
“There are also so many apps through technology now that allow us to get prompts at asking us, ‘What are you grateful for? What’s something positive?’ Whether it was an interaction or an experience or something or someone we encountered,” said Jensen.
To be consistent, Jensen suggests pairing your gratitude practice with another daily habit. For example, thinking of something you’re grateful for while you brush your teeth or walk the dog.
Jensen said you can also practice gratitude with your children. It’s a great conversation to have each night around the dinner table or as part of the bedtime routine.
“I think gratitude can be practiced at such a young age, even being grateful for the food we have on our table, the toys that we have, or the friendships we have.
And the younger kids start having this gratitude mindset or find meaning in gratitude, I think it’s going to have a lasting impact."
Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health
But what if life is challenging you, and you’re not feeling particularly grateful? That can be especially true for some around the holidays.
“This is really important to talk about, and so we know the holiday season can be so stressful for many for different reasons, whether we’re missing somebody around the holiday, or maybe the holidays just look so different for us this year.
I think it’s really important to one, acknowledge that the holidays are hard, but also find moments of peace and knowing that other things can also be going well simultaneously.
It goes to that statement of ‘Two opposites can be true.’ And so, although we might be having a difficult time or even a difficult time around the holiday, we can also find moments of gratitude.
And so gratitude offers us a way to shift our focus. I often like to tell my patients, ‘Life can be hard, but it’s also about us highlighting and underlining what is going well in our lives so we can prioritize that in our minds.’”
Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health
And there’s no better time than now to get started.
“When we practice gratitude consistently and regularly, we know that we’re going to have more of an impact.
And so the holiday seasons are such a great way to initiate that opportunity to start practicing gratitude or maybe initiate a new practice.
But it really is an all-year-round feeling and something that we have to be choosing. We’re not going to feel the shift in our body and mind or have these physical or mental benefits unless we’re doing it regularly.”
Jessica Jensen, a psychotherapist at Henry Ford Health