Intentional Gratitude

Welcome. I’m so thankful to have you here. My hope is by the end of this blog serious, you have applicable information and skillsets to help you in daily life.

In this first writing of the series, I want to briefly provide information about concepts and activities that help promote a sense of well being, connect us with positive emotions and even explore some ways to minimize the winter blues.    

We are starting with the concept of intentional gratitude. Intentional gratitude is both an action and a state of being.  It is seeking, recognizing, and acknowledging a positive aspect of our day, our relationships, and/or our  life experiences.  It also involves pausing with that recognition and letting it sink in and allowing yourself to feel it more deeply.  

I must admit when I first heard of intentional gratitude I pictured the “Everything is Awesome” character, Emmet Brickowski,  from The Lego Movie.  Actually though, intentional gratitude does not require you to overlook hardships nor does it shame you for experiencing feelings of sadness etc.  Intentional gratitude is giving mental space and leaning into the positive aspects of your life, expressing, and experiencing those feelings more fully.  

There is evidence that the practice of gratitude creates physiological responses that help us experience feelings of well being.  Practicing intentional gratitude is associated with the brain releasing the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Serotonin.  These neurotransmitters play a vital part in regulating mood and emotion and contribute to feelings of contentment.  When gratitude is repeatedly practiced, the neural circuit or the natural pathway for gratitude gets strengthened.  This results in it being easier to focus on gratitude and for your brain to “notice” the things you have associated with gratitude.  

See follow up blog post titled “Practicing Intentional Gratitude” for activities that can help you put intentional gratitude into practice. .