In 2010 I read Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage, which led to my growing fascination with the field of positive psychology. I took Laurie Santo’s free online class at Yale, The Science of Well-Being, collected additional books, and watched countless Ted Talks trying to crack the code on what it means to feel good. As a result, I’ve been trying to build and model a gratitude practice that works because it seems to always come up.
Personally, I kept a notebook where I jotted down things I was grateful for each day.
As an administrator, I challenged people in the office to start a daily gratitude journal. I even went so far as to write mine on my office door each day to try and model a shift, one that promoted the idea that personal well-being and happiness are not only supported but deeply valued in the workplace.
As a teacher, I’ve had students keep daily gratitude journals that were part of our bell ringer routine. I’d sometimes leave my daily three in the corner of the board as a reminder - gratitude is essential.
These efforts were well-intentioned, but honestly, I didn’t see a lot of return on investment. I found that the initial excitement of focusing on gratitude wore off quickly in the office, and in the classroom; students phoned it in and it started to feel trite. Personally, I wasn’t really feeling the benefits.
I’m not here to say that gratitude doesn’t work. Quite the contrary, I think it does work for many, but I just haven’t found a way to commit to it and make it an authentic part of my own wellness routine. This means I can’t authentically bring it into the classroom because nothing falls flatter faster than trying to convince middle school kids that something is meaningful when you yourself can’t find the meaning.
Anecdotally, one thing that has worked has been using gratitude to shift negative thought patterns. Ask my teammates. If we get caught in too long of a negative loop during a meeting or prep period collaboration session, I’ll frequently interject with a “We need to reframe! Quick let’s all say three things we’re grateful for!” Now, it should be noted that they are my friends, so they tolerate me; they’re also incredibly thoughtful people who want to focus on the positive. So, this practice has allowed us to shift our perspective in moments when we need it. Of course, I wouldn’t do this among strangers or in a parent meeting, and luckily I don’t often need to do this in the classroom.
With all of this in mind, I was happy to see Andrew Huberman’s podcast on gratitude pop up in my feed this week just in time for Thanksgiving. Huberman, a neuroscientist, and professor at Stanford, offers explanations about the human brain that even novice brain science enthusiasts like myself can follow in his podcast The Huberman Lab. It’s definitely worth a listen, but here are some of my takeaways in layman's terms.
This gives me a few ideas for how we can try to integrate more meaningful gratitude practices into our lives as educators.
First, if we feel gratitude for someone else, we need to express it! It will have a powerful effect on them.
Second, stories are extremely powerful resources to transform us in so many ways. That warms my English teacher heart. I’m already thinking about ways to help students discover a story that will resonate with them and how we might then incorporate a brief daily reflection on that story. I’m not sure how that will feel in the classroom, but I’m certainly willing to try if it has the potential to improve how my students feel and think.
Third, on occasion, we receive a heartfelt thank-you. What if we choose one that made us feel especially good? If it’s written, carry it with you and read it. If it’s a memory, reflect on it daily. Again, I can’t guarantee that it will work to increase my sense of well-being, but I’m game for implementing a practice that, at the very least, will serve as a quick daily reminder of the impact we can have on others.
So, that’s what I’m thinking about this week - how to activate the power of gratitude to change our brains and help our students be their best selves.
Be well,
Stephanie
Personally, I kept a notebook where I jotted down things I was grateful for each day.
As an administrator, I challenged people in the office to start a daily gratitude journal. I even went so far as to write mine on my office door each day to try and model a shift, one that promoted the idea that personal well-being and happiness are not only supported but deeply valued in the workplace.
As a teacher, I’ve had students keep daily gratitude journals that were part of our bell ringer routine. I’d sometimes leave my daily three in the corner of the board as a reminder - gratitude is essential.
These efforts were well-intentioned, but honestly, I didn’t see a lot of return on investment. I found that the initial excitement of focusing on gratitude wore off quickly in the office, and in the classroom; students phoned it in and it started to feel trite. Personally, I wasn’t really feeling the benefits.
I’m not here to say that gratitude doesn’t work. Quite the contrary, I think it does work for many, but I just haven’t found a way to commit to it and make it an authentic part of my own wellness routine. This means I can’t authentically bring it into the classroom because nothing falls flatter faster than trying to convince middle school kids that something is meaningful when you yourself can’t find the meaning.
Anecdotally, one thing that has worked has been using gratitude to shift negative thought patterns. Ask my teammates. If we get caught in too long of a negative loop during a meeting or prep period collaboration session, I’ll frequently interject with a “We need to reframe! Quick let’s all say three things we’re grateful for!” Now, it should be noted that they are my friends, so they tolerate me; they’re also incredibly thoughtful people who want to focus on the positive. So, this practice has allowed us to shift our perspective in moments when we need it. Of course, I wouldn’t do this among strangers or in a parent meeting, and luckily I don’t often need to do this in the classroom.
With all of this in mind, I was happy to see Andrew Huberman’s podcast on gratitude pop up in my feed this week just in time for Thanksgiving. Huberman, a neuroscientist, and professor at Stanford, offers explanations about the human brain that even novice brain science enthusiasts like myself can follow in his podcast The Huberman Lab. It’s definitely worth a listen, but here are some of my takeaways in layman's terms.
- In terms of rewiring your brain and creating optimal prosocial behavior and feelings of wellbeing, simply focusing on your daily gratitudes isn’t the most effective method.
- Being thanked and receiving gratitude from someone else is actually the most effective method.
- We can’t force people to thank us or sit around waiting for gratitude to fall into our laps.
- A really effective alternative is to find a narrative that resonates with us that displays gratitude. It can be a story of someone else who receives help from another that we find meaningful and that brings about sympathy / empathy. It can be a story of a time when we felt that someone was grateful for us.
- Focusing on that story for even a minute a day can work to rewire our brains and make us reap the benefits of gratitude.
This gives me a few ideas for how we can try to integrate more meaningful gratitude practices into our lives as educators.
First, if we feel gratitude for someone else, we need to express it! It will have a powerful effect on them.
Second, stories are extremely powerful resources to transform us in so many ways. That warms my English teacher heart. I’m already thinking about ways to help students discover a story that will resonate with them and how we might then incorporate a brief daily reflection on that story. I’m not sure how that will feel in the classroom, but I’m certainly willing to try if it has the potential to improve how my students feel and think.
Third, on occasion, we receive a heartfelt thank-you. What if we choose one that made us feel especially good? If it’s written, carry it with you and read it. If it’s a memory, reflect on it daily. Again, I can’t guarantee that it will work to increase my sense of well-being, but I’m game for implementing a practice that, at the very least, will serve as a quick daily reminder of the impact we can have on others.
So, that’s what I’m thinking about this week - how to activate the power of gratitude to change our brains and help our students be their best selves.
Be well,
Stephanie