Gratitude practices can help students overcome overwhelming challenges. Assignments, projects, tests, auditions, tryouts, crushes, friendships, and many other aspects of school can become points of tension, negatively impacting both the mental health and academic performance of your students. There are numerous ways to decrease stress, some of which can be quite costly. In this blog, we will cover gratitude practices as a form of stress relief to improve mental health and academic performance. 

What is a Gratitude Practice?

A gratitude practice is any activity or ritual that helps center the mind and bring feelings of gratefulness. In times of crisis or stress, life can feel like a huge hopeless mess. Gratitude practices aim to combat that feeling by pointing out the small glimmers of joy and hope amidst very valid stressors. These practices have the power to increase self-esteem, empathy, and psychological health, as well as improve sleep, reduce aggression, and encourage social connection. For our students, gratitude practices are a quick, affordable, and easy way to find peace amidst their stressors. 

Morning Pages

If your student enjoys writing and is looking for a freeform approach, try Morning Pages!

Within the first 15 minutes of waking up, have them grab some paper and a pen, and write down their thoughts. They can write about their hopes for the upcoming day, something they’re excited about, or even what they ate for dinner last night. No idea is too mundane. Whatever they write about, Morning Pages creator Julia Cameron suggests they fill at least three pages and are truthful in their writing. This will help them build an honest relationship with themselves. 

The philosophy here is that by writing down their stream of consciousness, they are freeing up space in their mind and alleviating brain fog. Practitioners of Morning Pages report that they felt centered, focused, and creative. Additionally, practitioners suggest that your child doesn’t share their pages with other people. Doing so might cause them to edit or sensor themselves, which isn’t conducive to the goal of relieving stress and tension. 

Stick to it! Like many gratitude practices, it might seem mundane and ineffective. Tell them to give themselves a week or two to acclimate, and then decide if they want to continue. Maybe they’ll even choose to break out their fancy stationery and turn their Morning Pages into art. Morning Pages can be a simple and easy way to alleviate stress and increase their focus. 

Journaling 

If your child enjoys writing but wants a more structured approach, consider Journaling with prompts. Journaling is a long-standing favorite for those who want to get in touch with their emotions. There are endless ways to journal. Some people write every detail of their lives, while others use journaling to work out frustrations. To include gratitude practices, try responding to these prompts: 

I am grateful for this one thing I can hear… because…

I am grateful for these two things I can feel… because…

I am grateful for these three things I can see… because…

I am grateful for x person… because…

I am grateful for x object… because…

By using prompts like these, your student is grounding themselves by engaging with the five senses, which helps reduce overthinking and hone their focus. Keep in mind that specific journal prompts may be just a starting point; feel free to branch out into other areas. Try journaling with prompts a couple of times a week, increasing or decreasing the frequency as needed.  

Thank Someone

It may sound silly, but genuinely thanking someone for the impact they have can be very moving. 

Advise your student to make a practice of thanking someone in their life. They could choose a guardian, teacher, friend, barista, or whoever they please. Have your child thank them and mean it by addressing their companion by their name and thanking them for how they helped your child. It doesn’t have to be perfect or eloquent. The important factor is that they are thanking them from a meaningful place. 

Thanking people is a way to improve both their day and your child’s. By recognizing the impact other people’s actions have on them, they are acknowledging the impact their community has on them and their impact on the community. Practitioners of this gratitude practice say that they feel closer to their friends and family, more confident, and less stressed. 

Mindful Movement 

For some people, the way out of their head is through their body. Engaging in mindful movement such as yoga or a walk can help to release tension from the mind and body.

Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice valued for its spiritual elements that sharpen the mind and bring feelings of peace. In modern times, yoga can be practiced in a variety of ways.

Simply stretching while being intentional about breathing could be considered a form of yoga. However, a yoga mat or a gym membership is not required to begin. Many yoga poses can be done sitting on a towel, standing, or even from bed. To get started, instruct your child to choose a video that interests them and customize it to their setting or comfort. To bring gratitude into yoga, guide your student, by asking to them pay attention to the way their body feels as they move through the poses. Incorporate some breathwork by breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, and then exhaling slowly for four counts. In many tutorials, the instructor will guide them through breathwork and direct their focus to move them into a peaceful centered state. 

Walk

If yoga feels a little too zen or boring, go for a walk. The goal here is not necessarily to exercise but to let movement guide the mind away from stress and pressures.

On their walk, instruct them to notice their surroundings. Are the trees changing color with the seasons? Are there clouds in the sky? How many colors can they see? What do they hear and smell? It may seem pointless, but allowing your child to note the simple facts of their environment helps stop rumination and bring the mind to the present moment. Walking can help clear the mind and reduce stress. In addition to psychological benefits, going for a walk increases blood flow and circulation to the brain and body, improving heart health, balance, sleep quality, and mental clarity. 

Conclusion

If your child’s gratitude practice is feeling shallow or frustrating, it can be helpful to remind them that gratitude practices are not meant to completely eliminate the stress and pressure of life. Teachers can be frustrating. Homework can be draining. Life can be tough. The purpose of gratitude practice isn’t to say, “I have so much to be grateful for, so I don’t deserve to feel sad and I have nothing to complain about.” Rather, it’s to recognize that even amongst challenges in life, there are always things to be grateful for and joyful moments to focus on. The benefits of gratitude practices tend to last as long as they are actively incorporating them into their life. So try to make a habit of them, and enjoy the process! 

Our students face numerous stressors as a result of systemic inequity. As a result, they are often behind in learning. At E.R.E., we provide our students with free high-quality tutoring to help reduce stress and improve their academic performance. But we need your support to make this possible! Without donations, the education gap will continue to widen and our students will be left further behind, negatively impacting our local communities and society as a whole. Donate today to make a difference in the lives of our students.