Practicing Gratitude

According to positive psychology, expressing gratitude and practicing gratitude daily can lead to greater happiness. During challenging times in life, it is important to remember the little things that we are grateful for. This can be practiced across all aspects of life, not only at home and with our loved ones but also with our coworkers and families we support. We all go through different adversities in life, but showing gratitude for one another can go a really long way. This is not only important for us as adults, but also for children and adolescents. Actually, in a recent professional development training offered through our SELPA, some of the most important protective factors children and adolescents can have are positive, social connections, and jotting down three things they are grateful for each day or night. The active practice of gratitude daily for two weeks straight can actually have a similar effect on our overall mood and effect as does medication. See the image below of all the amazing benefits of gratitude! We’ve also included a potential template for you all to print out and implement in your daily routines as well!