Gratitude is one of the most effective boosters for Positivity.
Just the other day, I was speaking with a colleague and discussing how being in healthcare we’re often working with the people who are vulnerable. This can be overwhelming. It leads providers to want to numb themselves, usually this is not a conscious choice, and may show up as fatigue and distancing one’s self, depersonalization. The constant exposure to vulnerability triggers our own vulnerability and burnout.
While it is important to recognize your experience of vulnerability, it is important not to become overwhelmed by it. One antidote is gratitude. Look at a situation, an individual or your own life experience and notice what you appreciate.
Below are several gratitude exercises that can boost your positivity so that it continues beyond Thanksgiving Day.
- 3 Ws – What Went Well? Each day, identify 3 things that went well. They can be as simple as a thank you from a patient or family, to something as profound as a healthy birth of a new family member.
- Be Present to the simple things that bring you joy, the sun shining, that song you like that was played on the radio, the clean counter in your kitchen. Once you become aware, perhaps there are some things you can make happen more often; it may be as simple as smiling at others more. By noticing everyday items and experiences, and allowing yourself to appreciate these, you can begin a cycle of gratitude which leads to more noticing and appreciating, and more noticing and appreciating …
- Write a Gratitude Letter to someone who had a positive influence on your life. Perhaps, it is someone you haven’t properly thanked in the past. In this letter, be specific about what the person did and the impact it had and still has on you. For an even greater boost in positivity, read this letter to the recipient either in person or over the phone. According to studies done at the University of Pennsylvania, the boost in happiness lasts longer for the writer than for the recipient. When I was young, my sister made a colonial sampler which says, “To receive a gift is truly pleasure, but isn’t the giver receiving the treasure.” Research has confirmed this to be true.
May this Thanksgiving be an opportunity for you to experience gratitude and may it strengthen your gratitude practices for the rest of the year. While gratitude does not cure burnout, it does offer an additional perspective.
For more ways to develop your well-being, contact me.
Revitalize Your Life,
Dina,Well-Being Coach
203.744.YOU3 (9683)
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