“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive --- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love”
Marcus Aurelius, 121 – 180 AD
What exactly is gratitude, what are the benefits of practicing it, and how can it help us with our experiences of pain? Many of us were brought up to ‘just be grateful for what you have,’ to say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ when appropriate, and to express gratitude when given a gift by an elder relative or family friend on a holiday occasion. Because we didn’t always feel actual gratitude on such occasions, our individual understanding of ‘gratitude’ may have ambivalent meanings. Some see the expression of gratitude as an opportunity to authentically thank someone for a beneficial behavior, action or gift; some see it as a necessary but time-consuming duty, while many people simply choose not to practice gratitude at all. ‘Gratitude’ appears to many to be a New Age woo-woo concept, requiring time out of our day for seemingly non-productive reflection, metaphysical musings and extensive time spent writing in a ‘gratitude journal.’ While documenting in writing all the things you are thankful for on a daily basis is undoubtedly a good way to get into the ‘gratitude’ state of mind, new research in neuroscience is showing us that a practice of gratitude is actually easily achieved without the need for onerous documentation or hours of focused positivity.
Given what science now knows about gratitude, it may be a good idea to banish any old, worn-out concept of gratitude and look at it in a different, more uplifting framework. Gratitude is something we all as humans recognize and participate in and is at times planned by time and tradition (seeing family at Thanksgiving or Christmas) or spontaneous (receiving an unexpected perfect gift from a friend.) Studies have been done that show that even when simply thinking about personal situations where thanks were genuinely given, whether you were the giver or receiver, or even being aware when thanks are given between others outside of oneself, will cause the brain to rewire itself to become more socially proactive, accepting, outgoing and empathetic. This takes us outside of ourselves and our individual problems and allows us to feel safe where we are and genuinely look forward to the future with less worry, fear or pain. The practice of gratitude shifts us from a routine life of complacency to a realm of unlimited possibility. When we feel in control of what is internal or ‘inside,’ it generates the confidence to deal with what is external or ‘outside.’ Knowing our internal landscape gives us the ability to focus more on the external, bringing fresh new activities, creative opportunities and goals to pursue. Basically, when the brain feels that the internal real estate is peaceful and undisturbed, it builds the fortitude, courage and awareness to take on the external real estate with much reduced stress, anxiety or apprehension.
Research has found that when we express gratitude, the brain releases a surge of dopamine, the neuromodulator that together with epinephrine, acetylcholine, serotonin and other brain neurotransmitters are the ‘feel good’ chemicals that affect us positively and bring joy, happiness, even awe to our day-to-day lives. Dopamine in particular plays an important role in many feelings including pleasure, attention, motivation and reward, creating a natural high that leads one to repeat specific behaviors (such as expressing gratitude.) The practice of gratitude stimulates the production of another neuromodulator, oxytocin, leading to a positive effect on all other neurochemical systems in the brain circuits. The brain basically demonstrates a biological ‘push/pull’ or ‘punishment/reward’ mechanism through the triggering of various brain neurotransmitters aimed at adapting the deepest components of our nervous system and causing our human machine to evolve.
Many of the negative things that we experience --- anger, fear, worry, pain --- are also triggered by activity in the brain circuits, and by the release of molecules that determine how we behave. Nature determines reward or punishment by the release of these molecules depending on our regular modes of thinking. For example, a peptide, tachykinin, when released, increases fear and anxiety and leads to a form of irritable aggression that can greatly compromise one’s quality of life. Research demonstrates that the practice of gratitude, together with social connection and genuine demonstration of affection, act to suppress the release of tachykinin. The brain also contains a structure known as the habenula, which releases neurotransmitters that can trigger disappointment and depression. The habenula has a connection with the pancreas and affects blood sugar: it serves to make us feel unwell if we make what it considers to be wrong choices. The brain circuits governed by the habenula are also positively altered by the practice of gratitude. The dopamine and serotonin systems, rewards of Nature, lead to optimism and the subjective sense that all is well in the world, based on the awareness that we are taking the right path in life and giving gratitude for those things that support and enliven us.
Gratitude is a way out of difficulty, pain and isolation. No negative emotions (worry, anger, depression, fear) can exist in the presence and expression of gratitude. It is impossible to truly practice gratitude while in the thrall of such negative emotions, as gratitude is like a golden light that melts through all of our dark thoughts and feelings. Psychoneuroimmunology --- the study of the relationship between immunity, the endocrine system, and the central and peripheral nervous systems --- is based on the knowledge that our emotions, beliefs and interpretations have a profound effect on our body’s functioning, including our ability to handle pain and survive disease. Practicing gratitude on a regular basis builds up the body/mind and quenches the activity of inflammation markers that produce pain. Gratitude is like a ‘secret weapon’ that allows you to understand and overcome challenges to your physical and mental health. As your brain circuitry develops increasingly on the dopamine/serotonin side, practicing gratitude will find you feeling full, complete, having everything you need and deserve, with the knowledge that there is nothing to fix, nothing to do --- just to process Nature’s lessons and to be grateful for the colors, richness and vibrance of your life.
Gratitude is a subject that has been central to the thinking of philosophers and visionaries for millenia. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, military general and Stoic philosopher who wrote of gratitude in his diaries entitled ‘Meditations,’ written late in his life, advises us all to always keep in our minds the inevitability of death, termed ‘memento mori’ (translated from the Latin as ‘remember you must die.’) Rather than seeing this as a depressing train of thought, the ‘memento mori’ reminds us to always be grateful for the people in our lives, family members, good friends, even our pets, who will one day no longer be with us. Acknowledging our oneness with others, especially those close to us, automatically fills us with gratitude that they are currently in our lives and gives us the opportunity to express even more gratitude and receive the same in return. Gratitude is like an illuminating light, making us really feel the humanity in ourselves and others, helping us to see and appreciate life clearly, feeling compassion and empathy for all and maintaining a quiet sense that everything is, has been, and will always be, all right.
Like mindfulness, gratitude is a practice to be studied and learned, and integrated into our lives in ways that make sense to each of us individually. How do we learn to ‘practice’ gratitude? It can be as simple as taking one or two minutes several times a week to quietly reflect on situations in which we, or others we know, gave or received gratitude. Science shows that the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) interprets these scenarios and converts them into a more empathetic, compassionate way of thinking, acting and relating to others in life. Another technique is to take one hour a day when you are relaxed and undisturbed, and consciously go about your day, but using and giving awareness to all that you experience with your five senses. During that hour, consciously notice what you see, hear, smell, say or feel. Many things can initially feel negative, unpleasant or tedious, but as you spend some time contemplating them, can often turn out to be a useful lesson, a stepping stone to a desired goal, or a full blessing in disguise. So many of the things that we rush through every day in a routine way --- drinking a cup of coffee, reading the news, driving on the freeway --- become illuminated with meaning when we show gratitude to even these inanimate objects and actions. As with mindfulness, gratitude is like a muscle that is strengthened and shaped through continuous use. The best part is that when you give thanks to all aspects of the Universe, the Universe will respond by bringing you gifts in like kind. The fabric of life becomes like a rich, colorful tapestry shot through with gold, and its all-encompassing warmth soothes and nourishes your soul. Life is a gift --- let’s give thanks for it every day!
HAVE A GOLDEN THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
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