Dear College of Education Community,
One of the most frequently practiced positive psychology interventions worldwide is Gratitude . This week, we remember the importance of gratitude as we take vacation time to reflect on the good things in our lives and express thankfulness to others for their kindness and love. But what really is gratitude and how can we engage in it? In a blog in Psychology Today, Dr. Jolanta Burke, Ph.D. states “gratitude is a disposition (trait) or a state of feeling thankful for what we have in our experiences or circumstances. Gratitude interventions are activities you are encouraged to do to enhance your gratitude.” Here are some ways to do this:
- Count your blessings: Write down what you are grateful for once or three times a week.
- Provide rationale: Write down what you are grateful for and explain why.
- WWW (what went well): On the way from work, reflect on what went well for you, especially if you had a bad day; reflect on what went well for you or your team since your last meeting.
- It could be worse: Reflect on what could be worse about an adverse event and what you are grateful for about the event.
- Letter of gratitude: Write a letter of gratitude and send it to someone or visit them and read it aloud.
- Share your gratitude: Thank someone who did something good and explain what you are grateful to them for.
To read more, please go to:
Burke, J., Dunne, P., Meehan, P., O’Boyle, C., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2022). Positive Health: 100+ research-based positive psychology and lifestyle medicine tools to enhance your wellbeing. New York: Routledge.
For a list of other self-care options, you can also go to our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
May this week bring rest and time to feel grateful for the good in our lives. Thank you for all that you do!
With gratitude for you,
Shari