Life is not always easy; we all face hardships, losses, and periods of adversity. However, even in these difficult times, the practice of gratitude can serve as a beacon of light, helping us navigate through the storm. In this lesson, we will delve into the science of gratitude during times of adversity, understand its protective and healing effects, and learn ways to cultivate it even when times are hard.

The Protective Role of Gratitude

Life is full of ups and downs, and everyone experiences adversity at some point. During these challenging times, gratitude can play a crucial role in our emotional wellbeing.

Wood, Joseph, and Linley (2007) found that gratitude was related to lower stress and depression in two studies conducted with populations facing serious personal difficulties (patients with neuromuscular disease and people in recovery from substance misuse). The researchers suggested that gratitude might give people a positive perspective from which to view negative life events.

The practice of gratitude has been associated with resilience, a key factor in overcoming adversity and building mental strength. In a study conducted by Kleiman et al. (2013), individuals who expressed gratitude showed a greater ability to cope with traumatic life events and exhibited higher resilience.

Killen and Macaskill (2015) found that gratitude was related to greater resilience among adolescents after the Christchurch earthquakes, suggesting that gratitude may play a significant role in recovery after traumatic events.

In a study conducted with Vietnam War Veterans, Kashdan et al. (2006) found that those veterans who reported more gratitude experienced lower rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The researchers suggested that the positive emotionality associated with gratitude could provide a buffer against the severe anxiety associated with PTSD.

Mechanisms of the protective aspect of gratitude:

1. Cognitive Coping: Gratitude encourages us to focus on the positive aspects of our lives, which can help in reframing negative or stressful situations (Lambert et al., 2009). This shift in perspective allows us to find meaning and cultivate a sense of purpose during challenging times.
2. Emotional Coping: Gratitude promotes positive emotions such as joy, contentment, and love, which can counterbalance the negative emotions that often accompany adversity (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). This emotional counterweight can improve our mood and overall psychological wellbeing.

 

Unpacking the Benefits: How Does Gratitude Help?

Now, let’s  look at how gratitude might provide these benefits during challenging times:

• Positive Reframing: Gratitude helps us to see our circumstances in a new light. Even in the face of adversity, there are often aspects of our lives for which we can be grateful. By focusing on these positive elements, we can reframe our experiences in a way that makes them easier to bear.
• Emotional Resilience: Gratitude can increase our emotional resilience, helping us bounce back from negative events more quickly and effectively. By acknowledging the good in our lives, we can balance out the impact of the bad, reducing our emotional reactions to negative events.
• Strengthening Relationships: Gratitude can strengthen our relationships, providing us with a support system during challenging times. When we express gratitude to others, it can deepen our connections, making others more likely to provide emotional support when we need it.
• Boosting Positive Emotions: Even in difficult times, gratitude can boost positive emotions. Research has shown that positive emotions can help us cope with stress and adversity, making gratitude a valuable tool in difficult times.

 

Gratitude and Trauma Recovery

Experiencing traumatic events can lead to intense negative emotions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, studies suggest that gratitude may play a role in trauma recovery.

In a study by Vernon et al. (2009), trauma survivors who expressed gratitude experienced less PTSD symptoms. They also found that gratitude was related to posttraumatic growth – a psychological transformation that leads to a higher level of functioning following trauma. This suggests that gratitude can be a vital tool in trauma recovery and posttraumatic growth, offering a ray of hope in our darkest times.

Gratitude as a Buffer Against Stress

Life’s difficulties often bring stress, but gratitude can serve as a buffer against this common mental health concern. In their research, Wood et al. (2008) found that gratitude was associated with lower stress and depression levels. They theorized that grateful people are more likely to perceive social support, decrease their negative appraisals of stressful events, and effectively cope with stress.

 

Gratitude and Physical Health

In times of physical illness or when dealing with chronic pain, cultivating gratitude can have a remarkable effect. A study conducted by Jackowska, Brown, Ronaldson, and Steptoe (2016) demonstrated that patients who maintained a grateful outlook experienced less severe disease symptoms and maintained better physical health than those who didn’t.

The concept is that focusing on positive emotions such as gratitude, can lead to a healthier lifestyle and better immune responses. It encourages behaviors like regular exercise, balanced diet, and adequate sleep, and all these factors contribute to better health.

 

Gratitude and Grief

Gratitude can also be a significant source of resilience during periods of loss and grief. According to a study by Linley and Joseph (2004), individuals who found benefits and showed gratitude during bereavement showed better adaptation and less distress over time.

While it might be challenging to be grateful during such periods, recognizing small moments of reprieve or remembering the positive memories of the lost loved one can facilitate the grieving process.

Increasing Awareness of Complaining

While gratitude encourages a focus on the positive, it’s essential to recognize and address its counterpart: complaining. Complaining, while natural, can sometimes hinder our ability to see and appreciate the good in our lives. By increasing our awareness of complaining, we can make a more conscious effort to shift towards gratitude.

Effects of Complaining:

1. Mood Influencer: Regular complaining can foster a negative mindset, which in turn affects our mood and overall outlook on life.
2. Relationship Impact: Constant complaints can strain relationships, making interactions less enjoyable for both parties.
3. Missed Opportunities: When we’re focused on what’s wrong, we might overlook the good or miss opportunities to find solutions to our challenges.

 

Gratitude as a Pathway to Growth

Experiencing adversity can provide an opportunity for personal growth, and gratitude can be the key to unlocking this potential. This concept is known as post-traumatic growth, where people find positive change and new possibilities in life after trauma.

Research by Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004) suggests that gratitude can help individuals appreciate life more, recognize new paths for their lives, improve their personal strength, and enhance their relationships, even in the aftermath of traumatic events. Cultivating gratitude can, therefore, lead to the discovery of a deeper sense of purpose and a greater appreciation of life’s value, despite the hardships endured.

Gratitude is more than just a tool for enhancing our well-being during good times; it is also a powerful tool that can be used during life’s challenges. By helping us reframe our experiences, boosting our resilience, strengthening our relationships, and promoting positive emotions, gratitude can provide a much-needed light in the darkness.

 

Exercise: Gratitude Journaling During Tough Times

Despite the apparent benefits of gratitude during hard times, it can be challenging to feel thankful when you’re struggling. To help cultivate gratitude during adversity, try this exercise: Gratitude Journaling During Tough Times.

Each day, find at least three things for which you are grateful. They can be simple, like a warm cup of coffee, or more profound, like love from your family. Reflect on these positive aspects and write them down.

Remember, it’s okay if you struggle at first – the aim is not to deny or ignore your hardships, but to allow yourself to recognize that even in tough times, good things can exist.

 

Interactive Activity: Complaint Awareness Jar

Objective: To increase awareness of how often you complain and encourage a shift towards gratitude.

Materials: A jar, a pack of small beads or coins, a notepad, and a pen.

Steps:

1. Setup: Place the jar in a location you frequent daily, such as your living room or office desk. Keep the beads or coins and the notepad nearby.
2. Daily Practice: Every time you catch yourself complaining, drop a bead or coin into the jar. It doesn’t matter if the complaint is big or small; the goal is to become more aware.
3. Reflection: At the end of each day, count the number of beads or coins in the jar and jot down the total in the notepad. Take a moment to reflect on the nature of your complaints. Were they necessary? Could you have approached the situation differently?
4. Weekly Review: At the end of the week, review your daily counts. Do you notice any patterns or improvements?
5. Shift to Gratitude: For every complaint you recorded, try to think of one thing you’re grateful for. This practice will help balance out the negatives with positives.

Tip: As you become more aware of your complaints, challenge yourself to reduce the number of beads or coins you add to the jar each day. Over time, you’ll likely find yourself complaining less and appreciating more.

 

Quiz

1. What role does gratitude play during challenging times?
2. Discuss how gratitude can aid in trauma recovery.
3. How can gratitude act as a buffer against stress?
4. Describe the Gratitude Journaling During Tough Times exercise.

 

Extended Quiz

1. How can gratitude influence physical health during challenging times?
2. Discuss the role of gratitude in the process of grief.
3. Explain the concept of post-traumatic growth and the role of gratitude in it.
4. Describe the detrimental effects of complaining.

 

References

• Kleiman, E. M., Adams, L. M., Kashdan, T. B., & Riskind, J. H. (2013). Gratitude and grit indirectly reduce risk of suicidal ideations by enhancing meaning in life: Evidence for a mediated moderation model. Journal of Research in Personality, 47(5), 539-546.
• Lambert, N. M., Clark, M. S., Durtschi, J., Fincham, F. D., & Graham, S. M. (2009). Benefits of Expressing Gratitude: Expressing Gratitude to a Partner Changes One’s View of the Relationship. Psychological Science, 20(4), 574–580.
• Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(2), 377-389.
• Vernon, L. L., Dillon, J. M., & Steiner, A. R. W. (2009). Proactive coping, gratitude, and posttraumatic stress disorder in college women. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 22(1), 117–127.
• Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., & Maltby, J. (2008). Gratitude predicts psychological well-being above the Big Five facets. Personality and Individual Differences, 46(4), 443–447.

• Jackowska, M., Brown, J., Ronaldson, A., & Steptoe, A. (2016). The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology and sleep. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(10), 2207-2217.
• Linley, P. A., & Joseph, S. (2004). Positive change following trauma and adversity: A review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(1), 11-21.
• Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.

 

 

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