By: Linda Lim USC Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity Self-Care: Gratitude By: Linda Lim USC Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity Hello my name is Linda Lim. I am an academic coach at the Kortschak Center on campus. Today my presentation will be on how to practice self-care through gratitude.

Understand how to practice gratitude Learning Outcomes Understand how to practice gratitude Gain knowledge of the outcomes of practicing gratitude Explore other possible ways of practicing gratitude By the end of this presentation you will be able to understand how to practice gratitude, know the outcomes of practicing gratitude, and explore other ways to practice gratitude

What is Gratitude? Gratitude Gratitude is the act of expressing appreciation and gratefulness (Isik & Ergüner- tekinalp,2017). Image credit: https://pcsearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/heart-of-gratitude.jpg First and foremost, gratitude is the act of expressing appreciation and gratefulness. This allows us to pay attention on what we are thankful for, be kinder and more compassionate.

Benefits of Gratitude With College Students: Improve individual mental well-being, higher life satisfaction (Kong, Ding,& Zhao,2015;Kyeong, Kim, Dae, Hesun, & Jae-Jin, 2017) Leads to positive emotions or stress reduction (Kyeong, Kim, Dae, Hesun, & Jae-Jin, 2017) Predicting happiness in college students (Kausar, 2018) Image Credit: https://oneworldfengshui.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Peanuts-Gratitude-1024x920.png Proven from research, here are few benefits of practicing gratitude, this includes the following: Gratitude helps to improve individual’s mental well-being and have higher life satisfaction Gratitude leads to positive emotions such as happiness that correlates with stress reduction

How to practice Gratitude? Making a gratitude list (Davis,Choe,Meyers,Wade,Varjas, et al., 2016) What makes me happy? What do I appreciate about myself? Things I am grateful for? Memories I am grateful for? Who or what makes me smile? People that I am grateful for ? Why? Image retrieved from: https://health.ucdavis.edu/common/includes/shared/features/2015-2016/11/images/gratitude-diary350.jpg So what are some ways we can start practicing gratitude. Type it on your computer or write a list on a notebook or piece of paper and answer one of the following questions: what makes you happy? What are you grateful for? Or What memories or individuals you are grateful for?

Establish a set time to practice gratitude. when you wake up Create a Routine Establish a set time to practice gratitude. when you wake up before bed before dinner before lunch Practice every day Image Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjAoKj-v9rgAhUFr54KHY24B6UQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.buffer.com%2Fdaily-schedule%2F&psig=AOvVaw1xeLK4LTXch4xfQA7H4lDA&ust=1551308307906024 It is important to keep a routine. consistency is key to long term benefits of increasing prosocial behaviors and happiness in life. To create a routine, establish a specific time to practice this task. It can be before bed or when you wake up but pick a time that you believe is best for you to practice this task and practice it on a daily basis

Other Possible Options for Practicing Gratitude Gratitude journaling (Isik & Ergüner-tekinalp, 2017) Gratitude meditation (Duthely, Nunn, & Avella, 2017) Calm.com - 7 Days of Gratitude Youtube Incorporate gratitude in prayers (Lambert, Fincham, Braithwaite, Graham, & Beach, 2009) Writing a thank you cards or notes (William & Barlett, 2015) Psychotherapy (Davis et al, 2016) Here are other options and ways to practice gratitude. Gratitude journaling is when keep a diary of things or individuals you are grateful for or express your appreciation for through daily or weekly reflections Gratitude meditation usually includes a few minutes of practicing mindfulness related techniques that includes relaxation exercises, concentration techniques, and visualization techniques. An example of where to find the meditation are on Calm.com “7 days of gratitude” However, only the 1st day of the 7 days of gratitude is free, so in order to experience complete 7 days and other forms of meditation you must pay for it. Or search for free gratitude meditation on Youtube. Incorporate gratitude into prayers to express what you are thankful for Write thank you cards or notes that express gratitude to show appreciation for people around you Psychotherapy involves meeting with a therapist and discussing what you are grateful for by incorporating it into therapy sessions. Image retrieved from: https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*roqF8yyhOkBXBhCBH5oWqw.jpeg

References Hope you enjoy this presentation. Thank you. Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., Wade, N., Varjas, K., Gifford, A., Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(1), 20-31. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1037/cou0000107 Duthely, L. M., Nunn, S. G., & Avella, J. T. (2017). A novel heart-centered, gratitude-meditation intervention to increase well-being among adolescents.Education Research International, 2017, 12. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.1155/2017/4891892 Isik, S., & Ergüner-tekinalp, B. (2017). The effects of gratitude journaling on turkish first year college students' college adjustment, life satisfaction and positive affect. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 39(2), 164-175. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1007/s10447-017- 9289-8 Kausar, R. (2018). Relationship between gratitude and happiness in college students. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 109-113. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.15614/ijpp.v9i01.11752 Kerr, S. L., O'donovan, A., & Pepping, C. A. (2015). Can gratitude and kindness interventions enhance well-being in a clinical sample? Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(1), 17-36. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1007/s10902-013-9492-1 Hope you enjoy this presentation. Thank you.

References Cont. Kong, F., Ding, K., & Zhao, J. (2015). The relationships among gratitude, self-esteem, social support and life satisfaction among undergraduate students.Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(2), 477-489. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1007/s10902-014-9519-2 Kyeong, S., Kim, J., Dae, J. K., Hesun, E. K., & Jae-Jin, K. (2017). Effects of gratitude meditation on neural network functional connectivity and brain- heart coupling. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 7, 1-15. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1038/s41598-017-05520-9 Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., Braithwaite, S. R., Graham, S. M., & Beach, S. R. H. (2009). Can prayer increase gratitude? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 1(3), 139-149. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.1037/a0016731 Williams, L. A., & Bartlett, M. Y. (2015). Warm thanks: Gratitude expression facilitates social affiliation in new relationships via perceived warmth.Emotion, 15(1), 1-5. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1037/emo0000017