Practicing Gratitude as a Graduate Student

It’s that time of year when people take stock of what they're thankful for and how they can do nice things for others. Research has shown that gratitude can have lots of health benefits: it can help increase happiness, fight depression, improve sleep, reduce physical aches and pains, and overall, make you a happier and healthier person. So how can you integrate the practice of gratitude into your everyday life? We know that as a graduate student, you’re busy – but here are some easy ways to practice gratitude that can add up to big physical and mental health differences.

• Keep a gratitude journal and try to write in it every day, even if you only list one or two things.


• Volunteer when you can for organizations that mean something to you.


• Spend time with your kids, loved ones, or friends.


• Send a care package, letter, or card to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.


• Try to do one random act of kindness each day.


• Pay attention to the beauty of nature.


• Practice mindfulness (check out our blog post on this, too).


• Try not to gossip or engage in negative discussions about people.


• Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Practicing gratitude isn’t blindly being a “Pollyanna” or refusing to acknowledge when bad things happen. It’s seeing things as a learning experience and recognizing all the good things that also occur, and the lessons in the not-so-good things. It’s being appreciative of the things we get, have, and do, as well as being appreciative of others in our lives.

Graduate school can be stressful, especially if you’re also juggling work or a family. Gratitude can help reduce the mental and physical stress.

Seeking assistance when it’s needed can also help reduce physical and emotional stress – and that’s where Thesis Editor comes in! While we cannot write your papers or dissertation for you, our expert team of experienced editors and statisticians can assist you with planning your research, choosing a methodology, editing and revising your work, addressing comments from your committee, and much more. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals.

 

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