My back-to-school homework assignment for YOU
TL;DR
Combat negativity and complaining by focusing on the things you’re grateful for.
I was laughing with a friend last week about our pre-strike and pre-covid complaints. What even were they?!
These days, it seems like there’s a never-ending list of things to complain about.
And, trust me — I get it. Most of you are dealing with an industry-wide turmoil that's impacting your lives on many levels. But these bigger picture issues can often have a butterfly effect on every area of your life.
And before you know it, your life is just one long string of complaints, which isn't is mentally or emotionally healthy (and can be downright destructive).
But I bet, with very little effort or brain strain, you could prove to yourself that there are just as many things to be grateful for.
Becoming aware of HOW MUCH you’re complaining and WHEN is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to changing your mindset.
It’s not a new concept: combat negativity and complaining by focusing on the things you’re grateful for.
And as much as it may sound like it, this isn't a cliche — there is actual science behind the idea. Just ask Laurie Santos, the Yale psychology professor who teaches her now-famous course, “The Science of Well-Being.”
She reminds us that rewiring our brain for gratitude — especially when we share our gratitude with another person — can have a huge impact on our overall happiness.
And more specifically, she says that when you take the time to write out a letter of gratitude for a person and then deliver it to them, you forge social bonds that can change both your life and theirs.
Clearly, the research is resonating — her class has been made free and available online and over 4 million people have enrolled since the pandemic began. I took it during the pandemic and highly recommend it. Here is a clip of Laurie on The Today Show sharing 5 Ways to Feel Better Immediately.
Okay, so my back to school homework for YOU this week:
Combat complaints with gratitude IN THE MOMENT.
Every time you find yourself complaining this week, you must also come up with a gratitude — it’s 1 for 1 folks!
And because this challenge is SO important, we’re doing it with you. I’ve been keeping my list of gratitudes on my phone (I’m up to 10 today 🙄).
Feel yourself sliding into a complaints-only funk? It’s time to write and deliver that letter of gratitude.
Dr. Santos suggests setting aside a half hour for yourself in a quiet place and writing someone a heartfelt letter explaining how they have touched you and why they are meaningful in your life. (I did this one too, and it seriously works!)
And just in case you didn't already know it: we are filled with gratitude for every one of you in our Capes Coaching community.
Good luck!