Gratitude Journaling - How this practice can change your life

You can either complain that you cant go out of the house or you can be grateful that you have a house With this example Dr Sapna Bangar psychiatrist and head Mpower ndash The Centre stresses on the fact that gratitude more than just an expression of thanks has a lot to do with seeing the glass half full or half empty And it is this stream of thought that researchers at the University of Twente in The Netherlands have tackledA study by Glassdoor revealed that employees were motivated to work when their bosses conveyed appreciationIn a study published last month in the Journal of Happiness Studies 217 participants had to train their sense of gratitude for six weeks and results showed that those who lead their lives with this sense are happier and less likely to suffer from psychological problems Meanwhile social media has been abuzz with selfcare hacks in the pandemic world mdash gratitude journaling included and three professionals tell us why it worksHonest accountCEO of Aglet Ink and a tour guide too Reeti Roy 31 first began gratitude journaling a decade ago as a student at the London School of Economics A riot induced by police brutality had broken out I felt lucky to be alive says Roy over the phone from Kolkata where she is currently spending time with family In a peoplecentric profession she finds this form of journaling an outlet for selfexpression Theres this tendency to be a peoplepleaser professionally the main challenge with writing what Im thankful for was being honest with myself Sometimes you also treat yourself badly and determine your selfworth through external factors So putting down words helps you rethink why you think a certain way Gratitude journaling brings out the unfiltered you and helps you to be gentle to yourselfMagic in the mundaneWhen Dr Janice Morais a dentist based in Chembur took to being thankful on paper a little over a year ago she found it challenging because she was looking for something extraordinary to be grateful for Little did the 33yearold know that finding a parking spot could be extraordinary This practice soon became routine I dont make bullet points but write paragraphs Theres no format this isnt an exam All you have to do is grab a diary and pen and pour your heart out she shares As a mother of threeyearold twins she makes it a point to discuss gratitude verbally with her kids before bedtime hoping they pick up journaling in the future Because of this Ive noticed that everything eventually falls into place she saysDr Bangar mentions the Christian tradition of saying the grace before a meal as an exercise in gratitudeManaging anxietyIve struggled with anxiety since I was five and Ive been ruled by a sense of dread about things throughout my life Journaling helped me to see through the black and whiteness of extreme thinking mdash for instance if Id notice one bad thing then I would think that everything was bad This thought process was quietened It is a profound way to focus on what is going right instead of what is going wrong says Punebased Sheena Dabholkar the founder of Mindful and Body a wellbeing platform She started gratitude journaling five years ago and has been doing it regularly for the past three yearsA lot of journaling as a practice she says is taught as Oh just write down your worries but now that she has begun to teach the practice via a fiveday emailbased course as well as a workshop on Zoom she discovered that there are a million ways to journal Dabholkar 34 maintains that the workshop is not just about making a mere list of what youre grateful for adding Sometimes people dont know what they are grateful for and so they learn to practise ways to achieve gratitude The ecourse was started last September Usually there are 10 to 15 participants in each session and its amazing to see people coming from all around the world mdash from small towns in Tamil Nadu to SingaporeLog on to MindfulandbodycomCost Rs 800 for the ecourse where 50 per cent proceeds go towards COVID19 and Amphanrelated relief efforts Rs 500 for the workshop in JuneWays of saying thanks To begin your gratitude journaling journey maintain an account on a weekly basis detailing 10 things you are grateful for After that is done reflect on what they make you feel If you cannot think of 10 things just ask friends or family what they think you should be grateful for mdash a perspective change can be good for your thought process Connect with your friends and family Call them and share your happy memories Create a weekly timetable with activities of gratitude corresponding to each day mdash for instance for one day dont say anything negative or complain On another day try sending five thank you notes to your loved ones and write an appreciation for even the tiniest of things like Thanks for standing by me when I was down Practise meditation and mindfulness for 10 minutes a day These are closely linked to gratitude While meditation comprises deep breathing exercises mindfulness includes concentration on the here and now For example if you are eating dont watch television or indulge in any distractions but simply relish the food that is on your plate You could pursue this exercise near the balcony or window so you appreciate nature too Dont express gratitude only to earn something in return or because you want someone to be nice to you There is no guarantee that the receiver will reciprocate your gesture and it might be disappointing So do it for your joy and mental healthDr Sapna BangarCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news