B-Grateful
IMG CREDIT: 10000BEDS
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ―John F. Kennedy
Gratitude is the attitude here at Balance CH and within this amazing community there is a palpable drive not only to express our feelings of gratitude but to act on them in ways that directly and positively impact others. Gratitude can significantly impact well-being which can result in even greater feelings of gratitude and increased benevolence towards others (which might then increase others’ gratitude attitude and so on and so on). Think of it as a happy continuous loop - a “gratitude cycle”.
Gratitude can be defined as a mindful awareness of the benefits in one’s life1. Interestingly, it can be thought of in many ways - as a disposition, an attitude, an emotion or mood or even a coping mechanism.2 Consistent research has shown a connection between different types of gratitude and emotional well-being, with greater feelings of gratitude associated with an enhanced sense of overall well-being. In one commonly cited empirical study, college students were required to keep daily or weekly journals, in which one group was instructed to write about negative events, one group was instructed to write about things they appreciated, and one group was instructed to write about neutral life events. The gratitude group showed higher well being on repeated measures compared to the other two groups - they felt better about their lives and were more optimistic regarding the future.2 This relationship has been shown in both adolescents and adults. In adults, evidence has shown a positive relationship between gratitude and increased life satisfaction, spirituality, empathy and prosocial behavior. Enhanced gratitude has also been found to be associated with reduced depression and anxiety.3
Less research has focussed on the impact of gratitude on physical health but there is evidence of a similar positive relationship between gratitude and health. In the study described above, the college students who kept a gratitude journal reported fewer physical complaints and spent more time exercising.2 Other research has found that feelings of gratitude (whether measured as a trait or induced as an emotion) are associated with improved sleep.1 One explanation for these health benefits is that feelings of gratitude actually can increase parasympathetic activity in our bodies and it is that system which can help reduce stress and hypertension. 4
Given these findings, researchers, and clinical psychologists, have suggested easy ways to externally enhance feelings of gratitude with the hopes of positively impacting emotional and physical well being. Such strategies include:
Keeping a gratitude journal
Meditating on gratitude
Completed a weekly “count your blessings” exercise in which you write down three things you are grateful for at the end of the week
Writing thank you notes
Although it may seem obvious, it is important to think about WHY gratitude has these positive impacts on both physical and emotional well being. Several possible mechanisms have been identified: 1
Gratitude, and a focus on being thankful for what one has, results in less materialism. Individuals scoring higher on ratings of gratitude are less likely to define themselves in terms of material possessions and accomplishments which might explain the relationship to greater life satisfaction.
Gratitude leads to elevated self esteem which we know has positive health benefits
Gratitude is an important aspect of building social relationships which can provide important resources physically and emotionally
Gratitude motivates and energizes people to engage in more benevolent actions for others. Again, it is that “gratitude cycle” in which feelings of appreciation motivate others to “pay it forward”.
The link between gratitude and a call to action is on full display within the Balance and B Inspired community. B Inspired is a strong networking and co-work community of women focussed on physical and mental well being and making a positive social impact in the community. Led by Balance owner, Amy Carolla, and B Inspired co-founder, Liz Harris, Balance and B Inspired have developed an extensive community outreach relationship with Steppingstone Scholars over the past year. Steppingstone Scholars is a nonprofit organization, now in its 20th year, providing academic enrichment programs for underserved students and their families in Philadelphia to help them achieve academic success, opportunity, and a college degree.
This past summer B Inspired worked in partnership with Steppingstone Scholars to deliver wellness experiences for middle school kids during their Steppingstones STEAM camp. Led by members of the B Inspired community, Jesse Carolla, Bridget Michener and Nick Case, an army of B Inspired volunteers implemented a daily wellness program during the students’ recess. Held at Temple University, the focus was to expose kids to different types of physical activities, teach them about nutrition, provide them examples of healthy snacks, and mentor them on elements of physical and mental well being.
You can see a video made about this summer program here
https://www.binspiredcowork.com/social-impact-work
After the success of the summer program, B Inspired and Steppingstones implemented a six week Fall program with a focus on the positive physical and mental impacts of being in nature. With the help of B Inspired member and volunteer coordinator, Gail Redpath, Steppingstones students participated in weekly hikes in the Wissahickon park. B Inspired is already in conversations with Steppingstones and Vetri Community Partnership (the nonprofit arm of Vetri), planning for winter programming and beyond. A six week rock climbing program will hopefully start in January.
Steppingstones continues to deliver strong academic excellence and support in the local Philadelphia public schools in North and West Philadelphia but they do not have the resources alone to bring wellness education and experiences to the kids. B Inspired and Vetri Community Partnership will work together to bring nutrition education, meditation and journaling — and of course, exercise — into the public school programming.
B-Inspired will officially be designated as a nonprofit in early 2020 and will continue to work in close partnership with Steppingstones Scholars and other community organizations to positively impact their communities. If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering, you can reach out to Balance (info@balancech.com) or B Inspired (team@binspiredcowork.com).
Remember - volunteering will not not only positively impact your community but may make you physically healthier and emotionally happier. Win Win.
Balance and B Inspired are hosting a group fitness fundraiser at Balance
December 3rd @ 11:30am
Join for a Festive Hour of Fitness
This is a free class with a donation to benefit Steppingstone Scholars.
Sign up HERE
DONATE to Steppingstone Scholars
References:
Why gratitude enhances well-being: What we know, what we need to know. Emmons, RA, Mishra, A. Designing positive psychology: Taking stock and moving forward, Oxford University Press, 2011,New York. pp248-262.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373585.003.0016
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Sansone RA, Sansone LA. Gratitude and well being: the benefits of appreciation. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2010;7(11):18–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005
McCraty, Rollin & Childre, Doc. (2002). The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Appreciation. The Psychology of Gratitude. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195150100.003.0012.
https://www.steppingstonescholars.org/
Balance CH Resource Article
Alyson Mandel, PhD