{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Words: Aimee-lee Abraham | Photography: Philip Sowels","standfirst":"Research shows young people who practise being grateful do better in almost every metric than their less grateful peers. \n\nWe spoke to Dr Rangan Chatterjee, physician, author, presenter and podcaster, to learn more about the benefits of looking on the bright side, then asked some young people to write their own gratitude diaries and share them with us","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6202/cat.png","width":2146,"height":1426,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ELife is a series of ups and downs, fraught with unpredictability, cruelty and chaos.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s also a collection of tiny, magnificent joys and almost unreasonably comforting comforts. Warm toast. Hot baths. Rain. Apple crumble. Lie ins. The sound of a whole room of seven year olds dancing and laughing at once (even if, for now, their only option is to join forces on the internet, instead of gathering at their usual meeting place). In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, these things suddenly seem even more precious and valuable than ever before.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut if we forget to pay attention, we might not notice how much there is to be grateful for.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Humans have something called a negativity bias,\u2019 explains \u003Ca href=\u0022https://drchatterjee.com/\u0022\u003EDr Rangan Chatterjee\u003C/a\u003E. \u2018But even when it seems like we\u2019ve not had the best of days, I guarantee that something good will have happened. If you\u2019re not fully conscious of what that thing is, it\u2019s because the brain is a problem solver, constantly on alert.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Being highly tuned into the things that could cause us harm served our ancestors well; it enabled them to adapt and survive. But in the modern world, the reality is that most of us are living relatively safe lives. This bias, then \u2013 however useful in high stakes situations \u2013 is often working against us, causing excess stress and anxiety.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimple things \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a simple and effective way to get out of this trap, though it might seem counterintuitive at first.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudies show that keeping track of what we appreciate day to day can be a helpful tool to have in our arsenal \u2013 working like an antidote to counteract this bias and help us to look at things with a fresh perspective, especially on days when we\u2019re feeling stressed or a bit low.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether we\u2019re noticing the big things \u2013 like the air in our lungs, the food in our bellies and the hours spent with people we love \u2013 or just taking a few extra minutes to enjoy life\u2019s little luxuries, it\u2019s all about reprogramming our brains to look on the bright side, even when it feels like there\u2019s very little light.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018A regular practice of gratitude isn\u2019t some fluffy exercise,\u2019 Dr Chatterjee insists. \u2018It\u2019s an intervention which we know can increase our life satisfaction, lower the symptoms of depression and help with aspects of our physical, mental and emotional health. The reason I so often promote it \u2013 in my clinical practice and on my podcast \u2013 is because it\u2019s completely free of charge, and accessible to all in some form or another \u2013 pretty much without exception.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyone can learn how to harness the benefits of gratitude. But, like most skills in life, mastering it early on can be a great preventative measure against unhelpful patterns that might otherwise form later on. This can help young people put themselves firmly in the driving seat of their emotions and behaviours from the starting line, instead of feeling like defenceless passengers left to navigate life\u2019s twists and turns with their hands off the wheel.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6204/space.png","width":952,"height":1432,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELong term benefits \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf they can master this, other benefits may follow: in one of the most significant studies conducted around gratitude and young people (so far), 221 young people aged 11 and 12 were split into groups.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor three weeks, one group set aside some time each day to write a list of the things they were grateful for, while the other group reflected on their everyday \u2018hassles\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the study, the group who focused on the positives reported higher levels of optimism and life satisfaction, as well as lower rates of negative thoughts and emotions. They were also more \u2018socially inclined\u2019, and more able to offer more emotional support to others. In other words, they were able to extend their gratitude, and watch the effects multiply. The same thing happened when 14 to 19 year olds gave it a go. \u003Cbr\u003EAnd, perhaps most astonishingly of all, the results were long-term. Three months after the experiment was over, spirits were still higher.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJust imagine, then, how much of an impact we could have on young people\u2019s wellbeing if we started incorporating gratitude into what we do at Scouts, simply by running a micro-activity each week.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInterested in trying it out for yourself \u2013 at home with family, or with your Scouts online? Here are Dr Chatterjee\u2019s top tips for getting started on having a regular gratitude practice, inspired by his own life experiences and by his research in writing his latest book, \u003Ca href=\u0022https://drchatterjee.com/feel-better-in-5/\u0022\u003EFeel Better in 5.\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBe specific about what you feel gratitude for\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we sit down to reflect at the end of our day, being specific about what we\u2019re grateful for helps us to commit these positive experiences to memory.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s say you\u2019re a busy parent, but today you had time to wake up early and have a coffee in peace. As you put pen to paper, try to replay the moment in your head, honing in on the details. How did the coffee taste? How did the mug feel in your hand? Perhaps you had time to listen to a favourite song or chat to someone you love while you sipped, or perhaps you were looking out the window. What did the world look like before most people had woken up? How did it make you feel?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe stories we tell ourselves in our mind shape our narrative of the world, so the more positive details you can recall, the better \u2013 even if what you write is short and sweet.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can encourage young people to draw something that captures the moment, if they can\u2019t find the words or would prefer to express themselves visually.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFocus on people, not things\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are bound to be days when we\u2019re grateful for a new pair of shoes or fixated on an upcoming treat, and that\u2019s fine. But, where possible, try to focus on the people around you \u2013 how they add to your life and what you value about them \u2013 and you\u2019ll reap the benefits. Studies show this type of gratitude generates the most long-lasting positive feelings.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake it easy for yourself \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHumans are creatures of habit, so it shouldn\u2019t come as much of a surprise that we often need to \u2018parent\u2019 ourselves if we want to make things happen. Make it as easy as possible for yourself to do the action, until it becomes a habit. At home, this might mean leaving your gratitude diary on your bedside table, with the empty page left temptingly open, and placed beside a pen, so you don\u2019t have to rummage through the kitchen drawer for a spare one.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith family, it might mean playing a gratitude game over dinner (like asking each other to name one good thing that happened that day), when you\u2019re already sat down all together.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Scouts, it might mean incorporating gratitude into a game you already play, or a routine you already know like the back of your hand (like a digital \u2018opening\u2019 or \u2018closing\u2019).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s all about removing what Dr Chatterjee calls the \u2018barriers to participation\u2019, and it\u2019s worth approaching much like you\u2019d instruct a young person who needs help packing for their first camp, or completing their first badge. Break things down into steps, and then simplify those steps as much as possible.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022http://cms.scouts.org.uk/media/5778/gratitudediary-js.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Gratitude diary template\u0022\u003EDownload a gratitude diary template.\u003C/a\u003E For more inspiration, you can listen to \u003Ca href=\u0022https://drchatterjee.com/blog/category/podcast/\u0022\u003EDr Chatterjee\u2019s podcast\u003C/a\u003E \u2013 Feel Better. Live More. \u2013 or order his \u003Ca href=\u0022https://drchatterjee.com/feel-better-in-5/\u0022\u003Elatest book\u003C/a\u003E Feel Better in 5 at \u003Ca href=\u0022https://drchatterjee.com/\u0022\u003Edrchatterjee.com\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"07 April 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":76344,"nodeName":"One good thing: how keeping a gratitude diary builds resilience","title":"One good thing: how keeping a gratitude diary builds resilience","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/6203/dinosaur.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd0a3726e0","caption":"Dinosaur","type":"png","size":6914556,"width":2140,"height":1426,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"One good thing: how keeping a gratitude diary builds resilience","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjM0NCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/april/one-good-thing-how-keeping-a-gratitude-diary-builds-resilience/"}