Gratitude: Powerful Brain Boost

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of the profound importance of gratitude. While it may appear effortless to express gratitude, cultivating this habit can be challenging at times. It can be easier to focus on what we don't have or what we haven't accomplished. This tendency is natural—evolutionarily, our ancestors who noticed and focused on the negative survived, giving us a hardwired negativity bias.

Why Our Brains Are Wired for the Negative

Survival Precedes Happiness: For our ancestors, failing to notice a potential threat (like a poisonous berry or a predator) meant death. Not noticing a positive opportunity (like an extra bunch of berries) just meant missing a snack. The consequences of the negative were far greater than the benefits of the positive.

The Lesson: Our brains evolved to be hyper-vigilant for danger. It prioritized survival over comfort or joy.

Rapid Warning System: The negative stimulus (e.g., a startling noise, a sudden loss) is processed in the brain—specifically in the amygdala (a part of the limbic system which becomes active during fight or flight)—much more quickly and intensely than positive information. It’s an immediate 'Better Safe Than Sorry' alarm system.

While this bias was helpful for basic survival, it’s not particularly useful for complex thought, problem-solving, and personal growth. Our minds can’t think creatively when they are in survival (fight or flight, sympathetic) mode.

The Negativity Trap and the Fixed Mindset

Due to our negativity bias, we are more likely to notice the bad things in our life and compare ourselves unfavorably with our peers. These comparisons are rarely motivating. They often cause a spiral of negativity and shame, making us feel profoundly stuck.

Feeling stuck is essentially adopting a fixed mindset: “I will always be this way. I can’t change. Things will always be terrible.”

However, studies consistently show that children (and adults) with a growth mindset are more likely to try harder and succeed than those with a fixed mindset.

Contrast these two internal monologues:

"I'm a failure because I can’t do it, other people can, but I can’t, there is no point in trying again.” (Fixed, Shame-based)

"I may not have been able to do that due to circumstance and lack of resources, but with practice and setting myself up for success, I will be able to do this in the future since I have done hard things in the past." (Growth, Action-oriented)

Gratitude: Your Grounding Practice for a Growth Mindset

This is where gratitude becomes an indispensable practice. Gratitude allows us to notice the good around us and the good within us.

It is a grounding practice that, with consistency, literally rewires our brain circuits. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to pull yourself out of a negative loop that is driven by the survival circuits in our brains.

Gratitude helps us:

Shift out of the reactive limbic (or 'lizard') brain and into the problem-solving, creative, and wise prefrontal cortex.

Move out of the stuck, fixed mindset and into an empowering growth mindset.

Allow for the cognitive space to create meaningful goals and live the life we truly desire.

Help us get out of ruminative thoughts and depressed moods.

Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean that you ignore the bad things; it simply creates space to appreciate the good in your life, allowing you to move forward.

How to Practice Gratitude Daily

The best way to practice gratitude is to make it a daily habit. Pick a time that works for you—after you wake up, at dinnertime, or right before bed.

Make it Shared: Doing this with a family member or friend can provide accountability and share a positive experience. It’s also incredibly helpful for kids, setting them up for better brain health.

Write it Down: Keep a journal. Writing these thoughts down creates a resource you can come back to when you are having a hard time accessing gratitude or when you are feeling depressed.

A Personal Note of Thanks

Finally, I wanted to take this time today to thank my patients. As a psychiatrist and therapist, I know that being truly vulnerable with another person is one of the hardest things you can do. I want to thank you for the privilege of seeing you as you are and for trusting me with your difficult memories and emotions. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving!