When things are going well for you, things to be grateful for may seem fairly obvious. But when things aren’t going so well?
When you are happy — or at least, content — with your life, being thankful is fairly straightforward. What are you happy about? How did that happiness come about? The answers can be the target of your gratefulness.
However, when you are struggling, things aren’t so easy. If your life is in shambles, finding something to be grateful for may be challenging. There are several reasons why this may be so.
First of all, it might be the case that the problems you face are numerous, and in all walks of life. Trouble with your job, your family, your health, and your finances may not leave you with many bright spots.
Even if that isn’t the case, it might feel like it. Problems always seem much bigger that opportunities. Even if you have areas of good fortune, it might be difficult to see them.
And even if you can see them, you might feel like it is inappropriate to acknowledge them. How can I be happy about my good health, for example, if I can’t find a job? It might feel disrespectful, or inappropriate, to be celebrating in times of sorrow.
So how can you manage it? How can you recognize the good that surrounds you, even in the dark? And how can you be thankful, and display it, in a way that is appropriate and helpful? How can you be grateful in difficult times?
Related questions: What are you grateful for? How do you show thanks? What does it mean to be thankful? What are the benefits of expressing gratitude?
To get straight to the point, it is when we are having difficult times that expressing gratitude is the most important. As someone who has suffered from depression and suffers from anxiety quite frequently to this day, I can attest to the benefits of expressing gratitude during tough times.
As Google AI puts it: “Expressing gratitude stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, two neurotransmitters associated with feelings of happiness, pleasure, and overall well-being, essentially creating a positive feedback loop that can improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance overall mental health.”
That’s all fine and good, but the question is how to do this. While I express gratitude every morning, I sometimes find it incredibly difficult to accomplish. I start by looking at my notes from the previous day. I look for something I was thankful for or for something that made the day easier. But sometimes, I can’t find anything that happened then to bring me a little cheer.
And so I’ve created a list of things that I can draw upon when there seems to be a scarcity of joy in my life. The list includes over 100 things I should be thankful for. It includes everything from music to modern medicine, from the kindness of strangers to people I can trust. I can always find something on this list to write an expression of gratitude about.