In an age of excess, of over consumption, we are all dealing with various levels of discontentment in different areas of our lives. Everyone is in the pursuit of happiness, constantly seeking out situations, experiences or people who will make us feel happier or more at peace with ourselves. But this pursuit puts in a constant seeking mode that makes sure we are never content with anything for long. We are always on the lookout for the next thing that can satisfy us, the next vacation, the next thing we want to purchase, the next achievement, the next hobby, relationship and so on. This also makes us habitually absent from the present moment. We are already mentally in the next thing we have to or want to do. We lose touch with our present and are continually identified with our thoughts about seeking more. This impacts our psychology negatively in the long run, increasing our stress, making us anxious or depressed. We seek instant gratification, become more impulsive. Our self esteem also starts to depend on external factors which are variable. In the long run, our mental health and due to the mental health even our physical health suffers. A simple and effective antidote to this continuous seeking mode is the practice of gratitude. Many people scoff or trivialize this practice as they feel that it is just something that people do to make themselves feel better temporarily. But the practice of gratitude has multiple long term benefits. To begin with, the best thing that gratitude practice does is it pulls you out of your head and brings you in the present. The act of listing out what you are grateful for immediately brings your attention to the now, which most of us are usually not attending to. We are not mindful of the present moment and that in turn increases our stress and negative thoughts and emotions. Noticing simple things that one is grateful for and not just the big things in our lives is a good way to use gratitude to become present and bring a state of mindfulness into our daily lives. For instance, being grateful for comfortable surroundings, food, acts of kindness or small positive things that are done for us, small successes and so on can enhance ones awareness for the present. Gratitude practice pulls us away from thinking patterns that focus on complaining or the negatives in situations. We tend to dwell more on issues or negative situations or thoughts or feelings rather than positive experiences, thoughts and feelings. We filter out the positives and retain the negatives. Hence a good way to reverse that or at least bring more neutrality, is to practice being grateful and reminding ourselves of what I’d working for us. As we do this practice, our day to day mood becomes enhanced, which in turn reduces stress. This helps us deal with challenges more easily. This ability to change our own mood and let go of negative emotions builds emotional resilience. We can be responsible for how we feel and respond to situations. Of course we will feel negative emotions and there is nothing wrong in feeling that. But our relationship with them will become healthier. Gratitude practice is recommended to many clients at Zorbacare *Rehabilitation Center for Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Pune.* Clients suffering from addiction, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues are provided therapeutic interventions which focus on reducing mental health issues and improving overall mental and physical health. Whenever someone goes through these issues, the general state of mind becomes one of lack where one is starved for positive mental activity. Gratitude practice is one technique which has been known to aid in therapy as one of the tools. Inculcating gratitude practice in our lifestyle, therefore, is a small and simple step that contributes to mental health care and overall quality of life.
