Please & Thank You
How many times have you said “thank you” today? Once? 3 times? Maybe 10?
A study featured in US News & World Report says that “English speakers express thanks the most at 14.5 percent of the time a request is successfully completed.” The study goes on to say that what’s really interesting is how much more people don’t say “thank you” at all.
Miss Manners, along with moms and grandmas everywhere, would not be pleased.
(I mean, just say “thanks” already.)
But we have another thought…
what would happen if you intentionally wrote down your “thank yous” instead?
3 Good Things
In our Generous Classroom program, we are teaching kids across the country about acknowledging the goodness around them and being outright grateful.
Outrageously grateful even.
One of the ways that we encourage generosity
is by having them journal three things they are grateful for at the beginning of each session.
Why don’t you try it?
What are 3 good things that you are thankful for?
Why don’t you write them down right now?
You would be surprised how taking the time to reflect on the goodness of your life and putting pen to paper can impact your day!
The Gratitude Journal
Gratitude is powerful…and healthy!
Did you know that gratitude journaling not only increases your psychological well-being, but it also helps you sleep better?
(Now that I have all the insomniacs’ attention…)
Jotting down your grateful thoughts before bed can actually help lull you into a deeper night’s sleep.
Maybe because you go to bed focused on all the ways that you have been blessed.
The air in your lungs.
Your cozy bed.
Taco Tuesday.
Air freshener.
Summer sun.
And snow cones in the summer sun.
(Are you started to feel relaxed yet? Put your pen down and catch some shut-eye.)
Once you get started being grateful, it can be hard to stop.
The Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is a gamechanger for students as well as adults.
A recent study found that youth that used gratitude journals were less materialistic and more generous.
(We love it when folks get more generous!)
The teenagers in the study that journaled donated 60% more of their wages to charity.
The other teens? Not so much.
Why is that?
What is it about gratitude that unleashes generosity?
A Grateful Brain is a Generous Brain
When Dr. Christina Karns, a researcher at the University of Oregon, conducted a study linking generosity and giving, she wondered if she would be able to find a link. In her experiment, she used brain scans to map the area of the brain linked to the reward center.
For 2 weeks, half of the volunteers were asked to write in a gratitude journal, the other half were asked to write non-specific journal entries – not gratitude focused. At their second brain scan, the results in the reward center of the brain “showed an increase in the pure altruism measure for the gratitude group, and a decrease in the control group.” More giving!
Gratitude and generosity are linked on a cellular level.
Crazy, right?
Being Grateful & Getting Generous.
Let’s get that link growing in our own brains.
Grab a pen and paper before you crawl under the covers tonight.
Write down 3 good things that you are grateful for.
Focus on the amazing blessings that surround you.
Nurture that reward center of your brain
and unleash a truckload of generosity in your life!
Susanna Aughtmon is a gifted writer, wonderful wife, mother, daughter and friend, and a valued member of the I Like Giving team.
