One of the BEST anti-depressants not on the market

January 2016/February 2018

It’s free, easy, quick, and simple. It’s life-altering and mood-enhancing. “It turns whatever you have into enough,” says Melody Beattie.

You would never guess, but it’s gratitude. I wouldn’t have believed anyone who tried to tell me. Not even Oprah. I just had to learn it for myself.

When I found myself in a very deep and dark black-hole depression in the fall of 2014, I vowed to do everything within my power to never end up in that place again. I was already practicing many healthy habits, but I promised I would do whatever else I could to stay in the light. I thought--"shit, I guess I'll try gratitude then." So I set out to align my mind with gratitude and write lists nearly every day. 

And I have for almost a year and a half regularly written gratitude lists, daily & religiously during some periods. 

With a grateful outlook, it’s almost impossible to get stuck in self-pity. Self-pity feeds negativity and depression; self-pity and gratitude simply cannot coexist. Practicing gratitude is one of my VITAL anti-depressants. And it works in a big way. Not just for depression but for anyone who finds themselves thinking negatively: 'comparing and despairing', seeing the grim side of things, what’s missing, what they don’t have, what they lack, where they fall short (especially true of those with perfectionistic standards.)

Gratitude is a magic potion for easing feelings of discontent, not enough-ness, or otherwise general bitchiness & irritability. 

So I write grat lists. I cast my gratitudes even if it’s more tempting to cast my grievances. But even when I don’t have the willingness to write a list, I usually do it anyway and I feel uplifted from it. Such as when I'm having a particularly rough day and really looking forward to throwing myself a pity-party, I write a list and it readjusts my momentarily skewed perception. It's like I put my 'perspectacles' back on so I can see all the blessings right under my nose. I still have shitty days where I feel shitty. Those pass whether or not I do gratitude--the gratitude just makes it a little more tolerable. 

It’s become such a habit that I generally look forward to writing them. Over time, the practice of gratitude has rewired my brain so that my grats are more automatic than what is perceptively going wrong in my life. It has shifted my perspective so that I am looking for the silver lining in all instances. This mindset switch is miraculous and there is scientific research that supports brain healing and restructuring along these lines. 

I send my gratitudes on email because I’m a part of a sobersisters email list. It’s neat to read what others are grateful for (it helps inspire your own gratitude) and to share all our grats together. Noone is required to reply to anyone else in the email list. It’s more of an open format and a way to keep us all accountable. It’s fantastic. 

Gratitude works on people who are depressed and on people who aren’t necessarily depressed. I've had recurring depression since I was very young and it is a hugely invaluable piece of my wellness regimen. There’s no harm and no adverse side effects for anyone. For those with chronic depression, it is best used in conjunction with other wellness tools such as therapy, exercise, regular & adequate sleep, proper nutrition, meds, etc. I want to be clear that I am not making a recommendation to a clinically depressed person that gratitude alone will be any type of cure or replace therapy or medication. 

But I am attesting to it's transformative effects in my own life. Over the last year and a half, it has enhanced my sense of well-being by some huge percentage. 

My friend always likes to say--"if you can't be grateful for where you are, you can be grateful for where you're not." It pissed me off the first time she said it and now I find it a comforting relief. 

I save all my lists because it's a form of journaling and it's interesting to look back and reflect on how different things are/how quickly things change/how much we evolve. Every day is unique to that day and what was going on in my life at that time--some are very long, some are shorter. Here is a real, single entry of my grat list from 9/27/2015:

I am grateful for: 

• Waking up today, breathing and sober and hangover-free. 
• the privilege to be IN recovery, so many don't make it. im lucky.
• all you gals. So much ESH (experience, strength, and hope) within these lists
• active daily prayer and recommitting to short seated meditations 
• getting to see Elizabeth Gilbert speak on book tour for Big Magic last night in DC and making some new friends there
• that I can do hard things and I'm way more capable than I thought. The only thing actually lacking was the belief that I am 
• yoga, my love for it, and that it's a very essential part of my spiritual practice 
• fueling my body with healthy food and a lot of acceptance around body stuff
• the DC metro and it's superb people-watching opportunities
• my sponsor who teaches me integrity and grace by her example 
• that I am able-bodied 
• that I am so fortunate and have everything I need even though I might not have everything I want, please don't let me forget this
• having more than enough, plus 
• you all & this sacred space 

Try for yourself (give it 20-30 days) and post any questions below. If you're already practicing gratitude, take 3 secs to comment and tell me what kind of impact it's had on your life. 

Thank you for reading. I am grateful for YOU.