The Attitude Of Gratitude

Image Credit: Michaela St - Pexels

The phrase "thank you" is more than social courtesy – it's a key that unlocks a cascade of beneficial physiological changes throughout our bodies. By truly understanding and harnessing these effects, through regular practice, we can improve not just our emotional wellbeing but our physical health at the cellular level. In an age of increasing stress and disconnection, gratitude emerges as a powerful, accessible tool for enhancing our body's natural healing and regulatory systems! In short…. it is MAGIC!…

Currently I’m meditating, at the beginning of each session I will think of three things to be grateful for. Normally they are the special moments of the everyday. Thank you for my comfy blanket, thank you for the gift of Jack sleeping (when that happens) thank you for my brilliant pack stallion of a husband, who is our rock. Today though I’m reflecting on the amazing Women, and Allies, who have stepped in, to be sponsors for the amazing space we know as The emPOWER Breakfast. And WOW am I grateful. I visualise this gratitude as a glowing amber golden honey gloriousness flowing all around me and it feels tangible.

In a world that often seems specifically designed to activate our stress response, the simple practice of gratitude emerges as a powerful antidote – not just for our mental wellbeing, but for our entire physiological system. While expressing thanks might seem like a purely perfunctory gesture, research reveals that gratitude creates actual measurable changes in our bodies, from our brain chemistry to our heart rhythms and immune function.

The neuroscience of giving thanks is remarkable and I will try not to geek out going into the (potential) quantum effects and keep it firmly rooted in the physical.

When we consciously practice gratitude, our brain undergoes several fascinating changes. The prefrontal cortex, a region associated with learning and decision making, shows increased activity. This area connects with the limbic system, our emotional center, creating a powerful bridge between rational thought and emotional experience.

Perhaps most significantly, a gratitude practice triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, our "feel-good" neurotransmitters. These chemicals don't just make us feel better – they enhance our motor control, give us more energy, and help regulate our sleep cycles. Regular gratitude practice can lead to higher sustained levels of these crucial neurotransmitters, potentially offering natural relief for symptoms of depression and anxiety… and did you know the very act of physical flexing and contracting of muscles can create these same chemicals in the body. It really is amazing how our bodies know how to make us feel better.

One of gratitude's most profound physiological effects occurs in our autonomic nervous system. When we experience and express gratitude, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system – our "rest and digest" mode –  (simply put - when you are in gratitude you are SAFE) and these enhanced feel good responses dampen the sympathetic nervous system's "fight or flight" responses.

This shift manifests in several measurable ways. Decreased cortisol levels, our primary stress hormone, resulting in lowered blood pressure and heart rate, Improved heart rate variability, a key indicator of cardiovascular health (weird right, but the more irregular - in the right way - your heart beat is the greater the heart health. Gratitude can even enhance digestion and immune function.

The relationship between gratitude and immune function actually deserves special attention. Something I’m pretty obsessed about, because I get sick often. My mental and physical load with an unpredictably regulated child, means that there is massive sleep disturbance, there can be extremely intense behaviours that can be physical, and it means we are on our proverbial toes a lot of the time. These kind of constant stressors suppress the immune system, and my base line is extremely close to chronic fight or flight so I am fairly fixated with any tool that can be used to support the body and make things feel easier.

Research indicates that a regular gratitude practice can increase the production of immunoglobulin A, our first line of defense against invading pathogens. Moreover, grateful people tend to have higher levels of natural killer cells, specialised immune cells that help fight viral infections and keep the bodies general cell function in balance.

Beyond these direct effects, gratitude's ability to reduce stress has cascading benefits for immunity. Chronic stress suppresses immune function, while the stress-reducing effects of gratitude help maintain robust immune responses. I, my friend, am on a constant see-saw…lol

There are studies though which show it has an effect on the quality of sleep and also the production of the body's natural pain relief and inflammation reduction. I’m telling you. It’s like magic!

While spontaneous feelings of gratitude are important and valuable, developing a consistent gratitude practice maximises the benefits. So what can you do to begin a practice of gratitude? Let’s face it you can do it in any way that serves you, but you could look at any of the following.

Daily Journaling: Writing down three specific things you're grateful for each day, focusing on both significant and small blessings. Doodling is also really great exploration. Doodle the word of the thing you are grateful for.

Gratitude Meditation: this is my favourite. Taking precious time to consciously focus on feelings of thankfulness while paying attention to sensations in the body. I also use rich visualisation and my gratitude is like a living thing.

Verbal Expression: Regularly expressing genuine gratitude to others. Again this is one I love. I really enjoy telling someone what I’m grateful for in an interaction. What is surprising is how surprised people look when you say thank you for something they did and you tell them why it was such a gift.

The key to anything is consistency, a regular gratitude practice strengthens these beneficial physiological responses over time improving your vagal tone, soothing your nervous system and making you someone that people feel calmed to be around.

So…The next time you express gratitude, remember that you're not just sharing a polite sentiment – you're actively engaging in a practice that nurtures your entire being, from your neurons to your immune cells. This in itself becomes something to be grateful for, creating another positive cycle in the remarkable relationship between thankfulness and physical wellbeing.

So…. To return to where we started … ‘Thank You’ seems like such a small gift to give, in return for the belief in emPOWER, the value that has been placed on the space, and the active intention the sponsors have expressed as to their role in supporting me to develop this space, for our entire community. I really am humbled.

So I’m sending gratitude to all our wonderful sponsors who I will be announcing in the coming weeks.

Thank you