Gratitude

Today in faculty meeting, my principal talked to us a little about gratitude.  With so many things being up in the air in my school, she felt it was important to give us ideas on how to deal with some of the anxiety many of us are feeling (we have 5 brand new teachers who are in jeopardy of being let go because of the school budget short fall, and our school taking on a Dual Language Immersion program that will change the structure of our school).  She gave us a hand out on an exercise called "Better Mood from Gratitude".  I really felt like it was a meaningful exercise, and thought I would share it here, for anyone who may be feeling some anxiety for one reason or another and seeking any form of relief.  So here it is.........

"Really good moods are like gold dust.  They bring optimism, laughter, creativity and sheer joy.  Good moods help us bear all the daily irritations of live with good grace.  Psychological research agrees.  Positive emotions are associated with greater creativity, increased problem solving ability, and greater overall success in life.  In a study done by Emmons and McCullough (2003), they found that participants who took the time to write down 5 things they were grateful for each week for 10 weeks, were 25% happier than a comparison group who simply listed 5 events from the week."

So, here is the exercise.  Each week, take 2 minutes at the end of your week to write down 5 things you are grateful for.  It can be done in as little as 2 minutes.  If it is possible that even the simplest negative thought to provoke a change in mood, then why couldn't a positive grateful thought change you mood as well?  They can be as simple as being grateful that.......

1. I don't have a headache today.
   
2. I had a good lunch.
   
3. I have my family.
   
4. My new socks keep my feet warm.
   
5. I made a joke and people laughed.

Some of these are on the trivial side but no gain of thankfulness is too small once you've exhausted the usual suspects (ie. I have a home to live in.).

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity....It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."  

               ---Melodie Beattie

Since everyone is thinking about their loved ones this week since Valentine's Day is Saturday, I thought this would be a great time to start doing this, and I thought I would list my 5 things I am grateful for here so I can look back on the items each time I am feeling down.  So, here are a few of the things I am grateful for.

1. Cameron.  He is my voice of reason, and best friend.  He knows how to keep me calm and sane when times get rough.  
   
2. My family.  I have the best family (in-laws included)!  They support me in all I do and are my best cheerleaders.
   
3. My career.  I love waking up each day to something new.  I never dread going to work.  I can't imagine ever hating my job!  I feel bad for people who do.
   
4. Insurance.  I know it sounds silly, but without it Cam and I would be in trouble.  The surgery I had in December on my ovaries would have cost us over $5,000 if we wouldn't have been insured.  I wouldn't have been able to have it, and would still be in constant pain.  Yay for health care!!!
   
5. A place to live.  I never really thought about until this school year.  I have a homeless child in my class who lives in a shelter.  I couldn't imagine not being able to go home to a place of my own, and sleep in my own bed. 
   

Take the time this week to think of what you are grateful for, instead of what isn't going the right way in your life.  You may be surprised to find yourself in a more positive mood.