Practicing gratitude: Giving thanks for what you have can help now more than ever

This pandemic, with its attendant stresses—both the immediate kind, resulting from economic hardship and social isolation, and the long-term uncertainty of the ravages of the virus—might not inspire a reflexive sense of gratitude. But in fact, giving thanks is a practice we should engage in daily, regardless of what’s happening around us and to us.

Studies have shown that cultivating gratitude has many benefits. Psychologically, it can increase happiness, reduce depression and strengthen resiliency. Physically, it can reduce blood pressure, lessen chronic pain, increase energy and promote better sleep. Socially, grateful people engage in pro-social behavior, like volunteering and looking out for their neighbors.

The science behind all this is fairly straightforward. Feeling grateful actually rewires our brains, kick-starting the production of dopamine and serotonin, the neurotransmitters that make us feel good. (Antidepressants operate on the same mechanism.) And the marvel of it all is that this system is self-perpetuating: With regular practice, you can, in fact, train your brain to hold onto these feelings of happiness and contentment while dispelling negative thoughts.

David Steindl-Rast, a 93-year-old Benedictine monk known as the “grandfather of gratitude” and a figure in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, asks in his TED Talk, “What is the connection between happiness and gratefulness? Many people would say, well, that’s very easy. When you are happy, you are grateful. But think again. Is it really the happy people that are grateful? We all know quite a number of people who have everything that it would take to be happy, and they are not happy, because they want something else or they want more of the same. And we all know people who have lots of misfortune, misfortune that we ourselves would not want to have, and they are deeply happy. They radiate happiness. … Why? Because they are grateful. So it is not happiness that makes us grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes us happy.”

Gratitude can come from anywhere, but a life-changing experience provides a singular perspective. Miral Kotb, founder of iLuminate, a theatrical and technology company that competed on America’s Got Talent and brought a show to Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip, has taken this time of social isolation to be grateful for that most priceless thing of all, her health. “When I was diagnosed with leukemia, I was quarantined for nine months, where I could barely open my eyes, so to have this time of reflection and health means so much,” she says. “I am grateful for love, life and health, that I can wake up next to my fianceé, I can FaceTime with my parents and family, I can play puzzles, the piano, dream about the future and be very much in the present.”

Cultivating gratitude also heightens a sense of empathy, which we all need in abundance right now. As a small-business owner, Alissa Kelly, owner of local public relations agency PR Plus, has felt the economic effect acutely, but the plight of others also gives her pause, in particular the recent senseless shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. “Every time I go for a run, when I first start to move, I do a little running meditation. I think of how grateful I am that my body works and allows me to run [and] that I have friends to run with. I get to run past some of my family members’ and good friends’ houses, so it’s a time for me to be in my own head for a bit and be grateful for all the amazingness I have in life. This week took on a new meaning with my runs as I thought a lot of Ahmaud Arbery and how terrified he must have been. I will think of Maud and his family from this point forward when I do my running meditations.”

There is no wrong or right way to cultivate a gratitude practice. Some keep a journal or designate a time of the day, like during grace before a meal or before bed. Lauren Westerfield, a marketing and hospitality veteran, takes daily gratitude walks with her dog and her husband. “I make it a point to observe one new thing a day, study it and let myself feel the emotions it makes me feel,” she says. “Today, I watched as a hummingbird flew around to protect her nest and the eggs inside it. At that moment, I felt wrapped up in a warm hug provided by the universe. … It is just so great when you connect with nature, to allow yourself to feel interconnected with life and be truly grateful for where you are in that present moment. Choosing positivity controls our days, and I would rather spend them mindful, positive and in the sun.”

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.