{"id":10178,"date":"2020-08-07T18:30:08","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T18:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/?p=10178"},"modified":"2020-08-07T21:16:55","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T21:16:55","slug":"gratitude-more-than-an-attitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/gratitude-more-than-an-attitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude, more than an Attitude."},"content":{"rendered":"<header><div class=\"contained\"><div><div><\/div><div class=\"content\"><h1>Gratitude, more than an Attitude.<\/h1><a href=\"#recoveryModal\" class=\"btn submit\" data-toggle=\"modal\">Reach out now, we can help<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/header><div id=\"crumbs\" class=\"contained\" data-is-podcasts=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\">Home<\/a>  \/  <\/div><h3 data-date='07 August 2020' class='article-title'>Gratitude, more than an Attitude.<\/h3><div class='info'><span>07 August, 2020<\/span><span>Articles, News<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">&ldquo;<em>Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend<\/em>&rdquo;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">-Melody Beattie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Please&rdquo; and &ldquo;Thank you&rdquo; are simple words to which we often don&rsquo;t pay much attention. They are expressions of gratitude. As recovering addicts, many of us already focus on the concept of gratitude on a daily basis, but why is this beneficial to us ? What does it mean, and what does the practice of gratitude do to our brains and our bodies?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Defining Gratitude: <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most psychologists categorize three types of gratitude:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Gratitude as an &ldquo;affective trait&rdquo; (one&rsquo;s overall tendency to have a grateful disposition which is influenced by genetics, personality and culture). Not everyone has the same innate ability to experience gratitude, it can however, be cultivated.  <\/li><li>A mood (daily fluctuations in overall gratitude), and an  <\/li><li>Emotion (a temporary feeling of  gratitude  that  one  may  feel  after  receiving  a  gift or a favour from someone). <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Robert Emmons\nis the world&rsquo;s leading expert on gratitude, having devoted over 20\nyears to the topic. He defines the state of gratitude as : \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n\t\t\tRecognising that one has obtained a positive outcome and\n\t\t\t<\/li><li>\n\t\t\tRecognising that there is an external source for this positive\n\t\t\toutcome. One can be grateful to other people, to animals,\n\t\t\tinstitutions, spiritual beings and to the world, but not to\n\t\t\toneself. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Evolution of Gratitude. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gratitude is wired into our biology and it it seems that  it is not a characteristic unique to humans. <a href=\"https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/the_evolution_of_gratitude\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\"Darwin suggested (opens in a new tab)\">Darwin suggested<\/a> that humans and other animals share the &ldquo;same emotions, even the more complex ones such as jealousy, suspicion, and gratitude&rdquo;. Research has shown that fish, birds, mammals and primates demonstrate what is called reciprocity. Reciprocity, is a concept from social psychology, referring to the exchanging of actions. Reciprocity is characterized as the the exchange of goods and services between two individuals over time. It is an arrangement that mutually benefits both parties and allows for the continuation of the species over time. Reciprocal altruism, the socio-biological root of gratitude, is when an animal helps another member of the same species, sometimes at a cost to themselves. It is presumed that the favour will be repaid in the future.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies have focused on\nprimates such as chimpanzees and <em>capuchin\nmonkeys. <\/em>Primates\nare unable to express appreciation verbally, so they return favours.\nOne study  found that chimpanzees are more likely to share food with\na chimpanzee that had groomed them earlier in the day, and are more\nlikely to help another chimpanzee with a task if that chimpanzee had\nhelped them in the past. It would appear that there is an\nevolutionary advantage to co-operating with others. The evolution of\nreciprocity into gratitude means that our brains have evolved to\nrecognise when someone has done something beneficial for you and you\nare then motivated to repay them. As our brains evolved, they became\nbetter and better at reading emotions, and more selfish individuals\nwere identified, resulting in less co-operation with them. Thus,\ngratitude is beneficial to us from an evolutionary perspective, it\ncreates pro-social behaviour which has a circular effect and\nreinforces the behaviour of reciprocity. Indeed, ancient philosophers\nCicero and Seneca thought of gratitude as  foundational to the\nsuccess of a civilization. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How is Gratitude\nBeneficial to us : <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Emmons, gratitude, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Allows us to\n\tcelebrate the present.\n\t<\/li><li>Blocks\/ reduces\n\tthe impact of toxic emotions such as regret, depression, envy,\n\tresentment (reduces the frequency and intensity of depressive\n\tepisodes). \n\t\n\t<\/li><li>Grateful people\n\tare more resilient. They recover faster from stressful episodes.\n\tGratitude has been shown to have an impact on PTSD and symptoms of\n\tanxiety. \n\t\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tStrengthens social ties. This, in turn, adds to self-worth. \n\t\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actively\npractising gratitude, counteracts negative feelings such as :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n\tEnvy\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tSocial comparison\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tNarcissism\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tCynicism\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tMaterialism\n\t\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>People\nwho are more grateful are happier, more satisfied, more resilient,\nmake friends easier, have better relationships, sleep better, are\nless prone to <a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/drug-addiction\/\">addiction<\/a>,\nas well as being less prone to burn-out. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of neuroscience, focusing on what you are grateful for, calms the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\"amygdala (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/human-body-maps\/amygdala#1\" target=\"_blank\">amygdala<\/a>, which is the part of the brain associated with how we experience stress, fear and anger. When the amygdala is overactive, it releases cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. These are stress hormones which provide us with necessary energy in times of danger, but can have damaging effects on the body in the long term, if the body produces them too often. Gratitude acts as a catalyst for neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline which manage our emotions, anxiety, and immediate stress responses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\neffects of actively practising gratitude have been shown to last for\nmonths. Changing our thoughts and feelings can assist us in rewiring\nour brains and can change our behaviour. It is important to remember\nthat gratitude is a useful tool to assist in our recovery from\naddiction. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">&ldquo;<em>It\nis through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual\ndimension of life opens up<\/em>&rdquo;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">&ndash; Eckhart Tolle.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Resources : <\/strong>\n<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An Antidote to Dissatisfaction<\/strong> :  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WPPPFqsECz0&amp;t=119s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\" https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WPPPFqsECz0&amp;t=119s  (opens in a new tab)\"> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WPPPFqsECz0&amp;t=119s <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Is Gratitude?<\/strong> :  https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/topic\/gratitude\/definition <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Evolution of Gratitude<\/strong> : https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/the_evolution_of_gratitude<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Science of Gratitude<\/strong> : <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\" https:\/\/ggsc.berkeley.edu\/images\/uploads\/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf?_ga=2.148257463.1232572343.1596654013-429792934.1596654013 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/ggsc.berkeley.edu\/images\/uploads\/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf?_ga=2.148257463.1232572343.1596654013-429792934.1596654013\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/a>https:\/\/ggsc.berkeley.edu\/images\/uploads\/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf?_ga=2.148257463.1232572343.1596654013-429792934.1596654013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety &amp; Grief : <\/strong>https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/neuroscience-of-gratitude\/ <\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gratitude, more than an Attitude. Reach out now, we can help Home \/ Gratitude, more than an Attitude. 07 August, 2020Articles, News &ldquo;Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,4],"tags":[96,41,206,123,135,33,26,68,25],"class_list":["post-10178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-articles","tag-12-step-programme","tag-12steps","tag-gratitude","tag-pta-rehab","tag-spiritual","tag-spirituality","tag-addiction","tag-jhb-rehab","tag-recovery","entry"],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude-80x80.jpg",80,80,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude-300x158.jpg",300,158,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false],"large":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false],"alm-thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/gratitude.jpg",600,315,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>Gratitude, more than an Attitude.Reach out now, we can helpHome \/ Gratitude, more than an Attitude.07 August, 2020Articles, News &ldquo;Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend&rdquo;. -Melody Beattie. &ldquo;Please&rdquo; and &ldquo;Thank you&rdquo; are simple words to which we often don&rsquo;t pay much attention. They are expressions of gratitude. As recovering addicts, many of us already focus on the concept of gratitude on a&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/category\/news\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"admin","url":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/author\/admin\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}