Gratitude: Rewiring your brain
Gratitude is often reduced to a bullet-point checklist consisting of “write 3 things you’re grateful for” ...blah blah blah… and while that is not wrong, it’s also not right…entirely. Gratitude is more than just listing our thank you’s, if used correctly it can be a powerful tool to help slowly rewire your brain and subsequently change how we engage with things that happen within our lives.
Studies in psychology and neuroscience have found that regular gratitude practices activate the brain’s prefrontal cortex; the part of the brain is associated with decision-making, empathy, and social bonding. Studies have shown that when we consistently practice gratitude there are increased levels of dopamine and serotonin.
Here is where the “not right…entirely” comes into play. Recent studies at the University of California suggest that hearing expressions of gratitude, especially when they are directly related to you, can have a more powerful emotional and neurological impact than simply writing them down. Why? I asked the same question when I first came across this. But simply put when someone shares a genuine appreciation for us, it taps into our need for connection and belonging. It can feel validating and healing even.
Now this doesn’t mean to stop journaling or writing lists, I think this just offers us an additional perspective. An opportunity to reflect deeper on what we express gratitude for. Here’s some suggested prompts:
What is one thing in your life today you desperately wished for in the past?
Write a thank you note to someone who inspires you.
What does being grateful feel like in your body? Where do you feel it most?
What are you grateful for that didn’t work out the way you thought it would?
If journaling doesn’t work for you (sometimes it doesn’t work for me, the emotional part of me is not always accessible to me) here’s an alternative
This may at first seem like a lot of admin work, but I promise it’ll be worth it!!!
Record a voice memo to yourself. In this voice memo tell yourself affirmations, things you love about yourself, things you are most grateful for. Then if you have access to Capcut, Imovie or any kind of video editing software, place the audio over meditation music. I highly recommend songs from this playlist
Listen to this video every morning for the entire duration of your shower (or during any morning mindless activity).
Your brain processes everything you hear, watch and give energy towards. The more often your brain hears you affirming you, the more and more it will slowly rewire itself until those affirmations/gratitude’s become your new self-belief. Gratitude can change your life if you let it 💛.
To learn more about how gratitude affects the brain read here.
One of my favorite mental health podcasts also has an episode on gratitude and the brain, listen/watch here.