The fall and winter seasons can be a dark time not only for the weather, but for emotional health as well. Students, teachers, and staff alike might find themselves feeling sad, anxious, or distraught, as the days get colder and the nights get longer. One way people are making their days brighter is by practicing gratitude.
Harvard Health released research defining gratitude as a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. Gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. This means those who are thankful for what they have, no matter what it is, live more fulfilling, joyful lives.
“Thankfulness can make us happier, just because we’re social creatures by habit, and part of that socialness comes from our interactions with other people,” Arcata High math teacher Jacob Godinez said. “I think that at least for myself, I feel like I’m a helper, I like helping people. Part of that is by showing gratefulness, or just, you know, helping somebody else who’s in need. I think that circles back and makes me happier.”
People who practice gratitude will see a positive improvement in a variety of areas. Thankfulness and gratitude help people have more positive emotions, better health, deal with adversity, and build stronger relationships. Gratitude is an outlook on life that can be applied in the present, past, and future as well.
“I practice gratitude mostly verbally or in writing, you know, compliments, praise, things I am noticing,” Godinez said. “Or if I notice questions on assignments, I can write back with positive feedback.”
When we are constantly bombarded with negatives, it is easy to focus on them. The saying, “Life isn’t always easy to live,” tends to run true. Negativity bias is the tendency to register and dwell on negativity. It is largely present among high school students.
We tend to notice embarrassing or even traumatic events more than the positive ones. You could be having a great day at school, and then you have to read out loud in Spanish class, and you mispronounce a word. Suddenly, your good mood is forgotten.
“I think that when we are thinking about our own actions, we’re usually our own worst critic, and that can kind of have us be a little bit too harsh on ourselves. You know, I think that’s just a general thing, and I definitely notice it, you know, in math class,” Godinez said. “Kind of turning it around and thinking about, you know, the growth mindset and just adding the word yet at the end of a statement, like, you know, ‘I can’t do that yet’, I think is pretty powerful.”
According to the National Science Foundation, humans have around 60,000 thoughts a day, 80% of which are negative. This means that on the average day, a person may have upwards of 48,000 negative thoughts.
“It’s easy to think negatively because negative thoughts are everywhere,” freshman Clara Vidargas said. “Life is really what you make it, so if you just look at everything with a negative light, you can see negativity everywhere.”
Practicing gratitude and thankfulness is a healthy way to help break the cycle of negative thoughts. Being thankful is all about perspective. Gratitude means being able to look around you and see what you have as opposed to what you’re missing. This perspective leads to a better life. Not only will you be happier, but those around you will too.
“Positivity changes the way you think, and it makes you a happier person,” Vidargas commented. “Your happiness is contagious, so it spreads to other people. Positivity just makes the world a better place.”
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start a consistent gratitude practice. While the holiday months may be chaotic, there are plenty of things to be thankful for. Family, good food, or something as mundane as a pretty winter sunset can go unappreciated by many. Thanksgiving is a time for us to notice these little things and show our gratitude for them.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be hard. Writing thank-you notes, expressing gratitude to someone directly, keeping a gratitude journal, and meditating are all good examples of how to practice thankfulness. Student lives are busy, but a quick acknowledgement of what you have is beneficial.
“I think practicing gratitude is important because it will make you happier in life if you can realize what you have,” Vidargas said. “I have a journal that I write in, and sometimes I practice gratitude by writing things down that I’m grateful for. I’m happier after I practice thankfulness.”
One specific way you could practice gratitude is by writing down one word, one thing you are grateful for, as much as possible. Keep a little notebook, like one you might get from the dollar store, in a convenient spot. It could be in your car, your backpack, your purse, or somewhere else entirely. Every time you see that notebook, it doesn’t have to be every day, you write one word in it. It could be as simple as family. Or friends. Constant reminders of what really matters can make us happier overall.
Gratitude has the power to make us more joyful and grounded people. Depending on how you use this information, your holiday season might just be the most enjoyable one yet. Stay grateful!
