Simple, five-minute practice of noticing what you are grateful can change your life
Gratitude may seem too simple to be this powerful, but the enormous impact drives more than two dozen scientifically proven benefits throughout your life. (See the chart below for a sample.)
Gratitude isn’t a new tool for mental strength. Wellness resources have advocated for gratitude for decades.
No one disagrees that gratitude makes us
- better,
- stronger, and
- happier.
Why then do so few of our students use gratitude to
- manage stress,
- perform better, and
- feel happy?
It’s a matter of remembering to build the habit.
Can Your Family Step Up to the Challenge?
While some students become mentally strong gradually by some nurturing force in their lives, all mentally strong students get there by making a conscious choice to cultivate strengths.
Psychologists call it reframing. Our What Went Well approach also is reframing. Both simply take practice to develop a healthier habit.
For the next 30 days, take five minutes each day for each family member to acknowledge one thing from their day that they were glad to have. It can be something tangible (a friend) or momentary (a fleeting smile).
Your sharing need not be profound or insightful. The key is to take a moment to appreciate something that you have. And to do it most every day.