Chaplain’s message

CHAPLAINCY

The power of GRATITUDE

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, there has been a significant increase in the number of New Zealanders with depression, anxiety and, particularly among young people, disordered eating. This time of instability and uncertainty has taken a toll on the mental health of many people in our communities, and it is a very good time for us to be focusing on our own mental wellbeing and taking care of ourselves. One thing that really helps people to stay mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy is intentionally focusing on the present moment. Focus on what is past and cannot now be changed, or on worries about what might happen in the future can be the cause of anxiety, so mindfully connecting into the present moment can bring relief from that.

There has been much hype over the past 15 or so years about mindfulness and its positive impact on the lives of people who practise it. I wrote about mindfulness and our own Christian tradition of contemplative practice in an issue of Dio Today a few years ago. This article focuses on only one very small aspect of what some people might consider to be mindful practice, and what others might consider to be prayer. Whatever ideology you want to associate it with, it is hard to go past gratitude when thinking about connecting with the present.

The practice of gratitude is as simple as writing down three things you are grateful for at the end of each day. I have spoken about this in chapel services many times, and I sometimes think that because it seems like such a simple and perhaps meaningless thing to do, people minimise the significance of it, don’t explore it for themselves, and miss out on the remarkably positive outcomes it brings. These positive outcomes are not just wishful thinking; they are real, and this is backed up by plenty of scientific studies.

Robert Emmons, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, is the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He has been studying the effects of gratitude on the lives of everyday people for the past 20 years. I was reminded of his work recently as I was listening to one of Oprah Winfrey’s earliest Super Soul podcasts1 , interviewing Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, about her journey with grief after the sudden death of her husband. Sandberg said that it was focusing on the practice of gratitude that helped her come out the other side of what was a very dark time for her and her children. She firmly believes that when we focus on the moments of joy and make note of them, we rewire our brains to notice them more. Sandberg talks of realising that it is the tiny moments of joy that ‘make our lives’, rather than the big things. She is not alone in this realisation, as is evident in Emmons’ research.

Emmons and his colleagues carried out several series of studies in which groups of people systematically cultivated gratitude by keeping a ‘gratitude journal’ in which they regularly recorded the things for which they were grateful.2 Sounds very simple, doesn’t it? Over 1000 people from a range of age groups have been involved in studies requiring them to write down in their journals every day a few things that they were grateful for. Some of Emmons’ studies were as short as three weeks. Emmons says that the results demonstrated consistent physical, psychological and social benefits for the participants. Physically, people had stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, were more inclined to exercise and take care of themselves, and had better sleep. They also reported feeling more well and being less aware of aches and pains in their bodies. Psychologically, the participants had higher levels of positive emotions and were more joyful and gained more pleasure from their experiences. They were more optimistic and happier, as well as feeling more alive, alert and awake. Interestingly, the studies showed that there was an impact on the social wellbeing of the participants also. They were more compassionate, helpful, generous, outgoing and forgiving. They also felt less lonely and isolated.

Emmons says that there are two important parts to what gratitude is: the first is seeing the goodness and positivity, and the second is seeing where that goodness came from. This distinction is important because when we recognise that much of what we can be grateful for is not self-generated, it engenders a sense of humility and an acknowledgement that we are connected to others and that others help us to experience goodness in our lives. This is also where the practice of gratitude connects with our Christian ethos of thanksgiving. If we see that all goodness and positivity in the world comes from God, the ultimate source of love, it makes complete sense that we would end each day giving thanks to God for the positive, loving and hopefilled things from the day. As Christians we should be focused on the hope that comes from the resurrection and this way of praying would cement that in our lives.

In the interview with Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg said that when she intentionally looked for the joy every day, she experienced an increasing amount of joy – that somehow the act of looking for it multiplied its existence in her life. She started looking for positive things she could include in her gratitude journal as each day progressed and found that the debilitating blackness of grief she felt slowly lifted as she connected with positivity and hope. I found her story profound and again marvelled at the way such a simple practice, giving thanks for just three things each day, changed her mindset, and thus her life. I wonder how this could impact on those of us who are suffering from Covid-19-related instability in our mental wellbeing?

Rev’d Sandy Robertson, Chaplain