3.1 What is gratitude and how can it help you and your family?

At its most basic, gratitude means to recall the positive things in our lives and to express appreciation for these.

Why gratitude is one of the most effective character strengths

In this video Michelle explains why gratitude is considered by positive psychologists to be one of the most effective character strengths for influencing your levels of happiness.

She also introduces some of the many benefits that you may experience when you express gratitude and are able to count your blessings.

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MICHELLE:
Gratitude is one of the 24 character strengths, which, along with appreciation of beauty and excellence, hope, humour, and spirituality, comes under the virtue category of transcendence. And transcendence describes the strengths which, when applied, can help people connect and provide meaning.
Gratitude is particularly important for feeling and expressing a deeper sense of thankfulness, and more importantly, for taking the time to genuinely express that thankfulness to others. But what distinguishes gratitude is the psychological response that feeling and showing it can really bring. People who are grateful, experience a variety of positive emotions, and it is these emotions that can inspire them to act in more virtuous ways, for example, by being humbler, more persistent, or kinder. In fact, because gratitude also tends to foster the character strengths of kindness and love, it is very closely associated to empathy and connection to others, which can be so important during times of adversity and stress, like COVID.
Gratitude also plays a key role in forming relationships, as well as in strengthening existing ones. For example, one study found that partners who demonstrated gratitude towards each other reported increased relationship satisfaction and improved happiness the following day. Other benefits of gratitude include better physical and mental health and wellbeing, also increased optimism and self-esteem and enhanced sleep quality.
By broadening the way we think and behave over time, gratitude can also help us build resilience for any future challenges. A more recent study looked at the benefits of teaching the science of gratitude to students in secondary schools, and in particular, they were taught what gratitude is, how to show it, and some of the benefits it can bring. Students were also asked to use a gratitude app called "Give Thanks" to express their gratitude to their peers and teachers in a low-pressure and authentic way whenever they chose.
After six weeks, compared to the students who didn't receive the intervention, those who did reported not only a stronger sense of gratitude, but also increased positive and decreased negative emotions, decreased anxiety, and greater satisfaction with both their friendships and their lives overall. In short, the intervention significantly improved their social and emotional wellbeing.
When we count our blessings, we interrupt that cycle of negative and fearful thoughts that allows our stress system to recover. And when we receive gratitude praise from others, our brain releases dopamine, which encourages us to do more to receive such praise.
Throughout this unit on gratitude, you will learn some really simple and effective ways of learning about gratitude and how to use it with your family to enhance wellbeing. And if you work through the activities with your children, you might even learn how grateful they feel about you, which is always a bonus.
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Over the last two decades there have been numerous studies and research conducted into the nature and benefits of gratitude. These studies have produced a very convincing case for the positive effects of gratitude in many aspects of life.

Appreciation and gratitude

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A diagram depicting several quotes. Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. Voltaire. Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. Robert Brault. He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Epictetus. Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust. Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. Karl Barth.

Which of the quotes above do you most relate to and why?

Note your thoughts in the text box below.

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The following video is an example of a gratitude experiment.

An experiment in gratitude

Watch this video The Science of Happiness An Experiment in Gratitude modified [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] and consider which emotions the participants might be feeling.

Also consider how you are feeling when you are watching the reactions.

Does the video make you feel that you would like to say thank you to someone in your life?

There are many additional benefits of gratitude.

Research has shown that people who have a grateful temperament tend to experience more positive emotions, are happier and healthier and experience less anxiety and depression.

The diagram below highlights some of the additional benefits of gratitude.

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A diagram with a centre circle saying gratitude. Around this are seven satellite circles saying Improves mental health, Increases optimism, Protects against stress, Protects against depression, Improves physical health, Improves sleep, and Increases job satisfaction.

These benefits can be particularly valuable when dealing with a stressful and unpredictable period of life, such as during the pandemic, as they can bolster your feelings of resilience and help you to cope despite adversity.

The second of six themes

3.2 An attitude of gratitude