Thanksgiving comes and goes. The excitement of giving and receiving gifts in the winter holiday season also passes. Experiencing the emotion of gratitude, however, can be year round. Better yet, it can be cultivated.
If the field of Positive Psychology had been around when I was getting my degree in Psychology at University of California, Berkeley, I surely would have jumped on board. For centuries, mental illness was the focus of psychology. In the past decade, with the “birth” of Positive Psychology, an avalanche of inquiry has been directed at “What makes us happy”? Guess what? Gratitude is one key component.
For yourself and little ones in your life, this article explores a handful of practical ways, based on scientific studies, that you can practice to cultivate gratitude---and increase happiness---for free. What better present can you give?
1. Explore your world: One of the focuses of my Healthier Happier Life Skills series is helping children appreciate their amazing senses. With touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste, we take in our world. And what a world it is! Create opportunities to experience the world around you. Think out of the box about simple things to do in nature and talk about what you experience.
2. Start a daily gratitude journal: A simple notebook will do. Before the family goes to bed, curl up together in a big chair or find time alone, and jot down what comes to mind that you appreciated about the day. The courteous teller at the market, the dinner that your spouse prepared for the family, having been healthy enough to work out at the gym. No matter how simple or ordinary the event or experience, you can become more grateful by reflecting on your day.
3. Just pretend: I love songs that teach us about feelings. “Pennies from Heaven”, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and so many others teach us that even when we are down, there is a silver lining. Surprisingly, studies have found that if we act out the motions of being grateful, i.e. “pretend”, like smiling, saying thank you, and so on…we actually will start feeling more grateful.
I’d like to know ways that you have found to boost your spirits and feeling the blessings in everyday life.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
If the field of Positive Psychology had been around when I was getting my degree in Psychology at University of California, Berkeley, I surely would have jumped on board. For centuries, mental illness was the focus of psychology. In the past decade, with the “birth” of Positive Psychology, an avalanche of inquiry has been directed at “What makes us happy”? Guess what? Gratitude is one key component.
For yourself and little ones in your life, this article explores a handful of practical ways, based on scientific studies, that you can practice to cultivate gratitude---and increase happiness---for free. What better present can you give?
1. Explore your world: One of the focuses of my Healthier Happier Life Skills series is helping children appreciate their amazing senses. With touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste, we take in our world. And what a world it is! Create opportunities to experience the world around you. Think out of the box about simple things to do in nature and talk about what you experience.
2. Start a daily gratitude journal: A simple notebook will do. Before the family goes to bed, curl up together in a big chair or find time alone, and jot down what comes to mind that you appreciated about the day. The courteous teller at the market, the dinner that your spouse prepared for the family, having been healthy enough to work out at the gym. No matter how simple or ordinary the event or experience, you can become more grateful by reflecting on your day.
3. Just pretend: I love songs that teach us about feelings. “Pennies from Heaven”, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and so many others teach us that even when we are down, there is a silver lining. Surprisingly, studies have found that if we act out the motions of being grateful, i.e. “pretend”, like smiling, saying thank you, and so on…we actually will start feeling more grateful.
I’d like to know ways that you have found to boost your spirits and feeling the blessings in everyday life.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
