The Science of Practicing Gratitude
During college, I changed my major seven times. I floated all over the place, from health sciences to education to human development. I didn’t recognize the trend then, but I never strayed from beneath the “helping humans” umbrella. Somewhere, deep in my design, I guess I’m wired to help people.
As you might imagine, every one of these programs required psychology classes. Then, when I landed in a graduate program for counseling, I took a lot more. The history, the theories, the practice. I learned all about the folks who pioneered unique (and sometimes odd) ways of understanding human behavior. Eventually, I came to model my practice after a few of those pioneers who made sense of people in a way that made sense to me. And while I won’t list them all, near the top of those scholars is Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology.
Dr. Seligman, bless his science-and-people-loving heart, is a man who changed the landscape of psychology in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Previously, almost the entire focus of psychology had been on the unwell. Diagnostic tests focused on what was wrong. Theories and treatments were created by studying those who were suffering, rather than those who were thriving. It was a disease model rather than a wellness model, and Seligman saw this is a problem. That’s when he started asking a different question: What is going right with people?
His theory was that while a portion of the population suffers from mental illness, there is another (larger) portion of the population who does not. Seligman was curious about them. He wondered what made them tick. He wanted to know what positive practices and attributes helped them flourish. He figured that understanding people who were well and who stayed well could help those who were suffering.
Fast-forward to the current day, and Dr. Seligman’s work has caused significant changes in how we approach mental health. He identified a number of practices and qualities of mentally well people and how those can be used to help the unwell. For example, he discovered that people who flourish tend to have more positive emotions and more optimism. Feels like a “Duh,” right? It turns out there is science behind this: brain science. Positive emotions and optimism are not simply a matter of “looking at the bright side.” Rather, they are a result of the pathways our brains take as we interpret the world around us.
Here’s a visual. Imagine you live in a house that has no garage and no walkway to the front door. Every day, you park your car in the same spot in front of your house. Eventually, your pattern of walking the same path will create a path in your yard. This is basically how your brain works. Whatever path your brain normally takes is the one it will likely continue to take. Positive thinking or negative thinking is not simply a matter of choice, it actually becomes a biological habit.
However, our brains do not have to stay permanently stuck on one pathway. With time, effort, and sometimes therapy and medication, our brains can change! Just like that path in the yard, it may take a while to establish a new path and for the old one to grow over, but it can be done.
You may be wondering, where does Jesus come into all this? This is the most beautiful part. Every time science comes up with an “Aha,” Scripture usually has a “Yes and amen!” to go with it.
Long before psychologists began to theorize how our brains work, God created our brains. Long before brain researchers discovered we can change our neural pathways, God knit those very pathways together. And long before Dr. Seligman said, essentially, “Hey, my research shows that practicing gratitude, optimism, and hope lead to a better life experience,” God had already told us the very same thing:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8 ESV).
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov. 17:22 ESV).
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (Ps. 27:13 ESV).
Even in these verses, Scripture doesn’t pretend that being hopeful and optimistic is the easiest thing in the world. From social media and old habits to relationships and brain chemistry, there are countless influences that may be working against our ability to form healthy pathways in our minds. However, God’s Word long ago stated what science has now confirmed. We are going to do better, feel better, and be better if we follow these principles. Reflecting with gladness, having hope for the future, and practicing gratitude are, quite literally, the way our brains are designed to work best.
So, where do we go from here? For some, simply practicing gratitude (I’ve provided a couple of resources below) will be enough to help you start forming new pathways. For others, it not simply a matter of practice, but may also require the intervention of therapy or medication to help with our brain chemicals. But no matter what your situation, you are never beyond reworking some pathways. Let’s begin practicing gratitude together, right now. Let’s be grateful today and have hope in a better tomorrow.
Resources:
The Practice of Gratitude: Harvard Medical School
The Gratitude Visit: Dr. Martin Seligman
is an author, speaker, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist and veteran coach’s wife. She and her husband Tim have two children and are passionate about reaching people for Christ and sharing information on coaching, marriage, family, and mental health. Read more from Anne at www.annerulo.com.
Photograph © Omar Lopez, used with permission
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