Gratitude and Joy
As we wrap up the last quarter of 2022 and begin looking toward 2023, we would like to leave you with a gift. A gift so great it has been shown to improve sleep, reduce cortisol levels, treat depression better than Prozac, and even prolong your life, according to researchers at Stanford and Harvard Universities (2022). The gift is gratitude. Gratitude produces joy sim which, simply put, is one of the most powerful gifts we can give ourselves and each other. Joy is one of the most healing and restorative emotions, yet it can be the most challenging to generate during difficult times. I encourage you to read Shaunequa’s article for deeper insight into joy and how we help our members find it here at Gilda’s Club.
I also want to share a tool that I use to generate and cultivate joy through a practice of gratitude.
Even during my most grief-filled moments, I seek to find joy by expressing gratitude. Gratitude reframes our thinking toward more positive emotions, allowing us to develop connectedness and humility. According to positive psychology, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness (Harvard Health, 2022). Gratitude brings positive emotions and helps us relish good experiences, which are associated with improving health and assisting us with adversity. Gratitude also helps us to build strong relationships, which are key to giving us much-needed support as we work through trials and tribulations.
According to Robert Emmons (2013), gratitude has two key components: the affirmation of goodness in this world and that good things come from outside us. However, practicing gratitude is not easy. Our minds are trained to focus on the negative to help us survive (Emmons, 2013). We are constantly on the lookout for threats and are hardwired to remember the negatives. So how do we build a strong practice of gratitude when dealing with life challenges?
Here are some ways positive psychology researchers have found to best cultivate gratitude on a regular basis (Harvard, Stanford, 2022):
- Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down three good things about your day before you go to sleep at night. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you. I have found this practice deeply impactful. As a way of expressing our gratitude to you, Gilda’s will be giving donated gratitude journals to the first ten people who reach out to me for one. Email or call at Katherine.Todd@gildasclubmn.org, 952-767-7620.
- Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture relationships with others by writing a thank-you note or email expressing your enjoyment and appreciation for that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it to the person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Occasionally, write one to yourself!
- Thank someone mentally. If you cannot send a note, you can boost joy by just thinking about someone who has done something kind for you!
We see joy, goodness, and gratitude thriving at Gilda’s Club every day! We find it in the hearts and hands of our selfless volunteers and in the generosity of our donors, who are there to support Gilda’s Club members’ cancer journey every step of the way. So please take a moment to read and relish in gratitude in Renee and Bri’s articles highlighting the exceptional individuals supporting Gilda’s Club members from the sidelines – and do consider thanking them, even mentally, as you practice cultivating joy through gratitude!
With gratitude,
Katherine Todd
Executive Director
612-227-2147 main | 952-767-7620 direct
10560 Wayzata Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55305
