Gratifood: feeding our minds in current times
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have experienced some form of a lockdown. Having to stay inside and live with restrictions makes it seem like there are so many things that we can’t do right now. From going to school and eating at restaurants to flying and visiting our friends and loved ones, lockdown has disrupted our daily, weekly, and monthly rituals that we never gave much thought to before. At the peak of the pandemic, the uncertainty and frustration clouded the brightness of the future and pushed many into the dark. There is no doubt that many have experienced loss in one form or the other and that the darkness will inevitably follow. However, even during the seemingly endless negativity, we must maintain balance in order to support ourselves and the ones around us.
How might we do this?
The simple answer, think positive! But, we’ve heard that one a thousand times. Sure, it might be a great start, but the statement is too vague, making it difficult to translate into a part of our routine.
Have you ever stopped and thought about feeding your mind? We have been taught and told what foods to eat, how much of each and why they are good or bad for us. However, feeding our mind is a concept that is rarely discussed in school health education. In recent times, the news and media have been filled with pain, sadness, and frustration, all of which subconsciously feed our mind with a large amount of negative thoughts or ‘foods’. We might visit other platforms and consume content that is more positive and experience momentary relief, but most times, current events seem to outweigh these brief bursts of pleasure or ‘snacks’.
Then how do we increase our intake of positivity and balance our ‘mind diet’?
A popular concept in positive psychology is gratitude, which is defined as “the expression of appreciation for what one has” (Psychology Today). To find whether incorporating gratitude into our lives could yield meaningful results in these trying times, I sent out an online survey to over 340 middle school students.
The survey, titled “Three Sentences of Gratitude”, was an introduction of gratitude, in its tangible form, for middle school students who currently study at the international school I attend. Having a sister who was in middle school herself, I found that not being able to go to school and completing online tasks was an uncomfortable experience for her. Based on what I saw and hearing feedback from teachers, negativity seemed to be the dominant emotion. To explore potential solutions, I took time to reflect on my own experience and how I was able to generate positive thoughts despite the circumstances. Gratitude was the first thing that came to mind and it stuck.
Sentences of gratitude is a common way for people to start their mindfulness journey — a quick and simple way to reflect on your day and switch your focus to the positive aspects of your life. On the survey, there were three statements that were to be completed: “Today I am grateful for ________”, “I feel grateful when __________”, “During this time, I am grateful because _________”. As there was no minimum or maximum word requirement, I received a multitude of responses. One word, a sentence, and sometimes even a whole paragraph. Popular answers for the first statement included family (116 responses), friends (59 responses), and health (29 responses). For the second, spending time with family (76 responses) , having food made or sharing/eating food (44 responses), and receiving help from someone (22 responses). Finally, for the third statement, common answers included a healthy family (77 responses), safety (42 responses), and being able to attend virtual school (29 responses).
In the debrief segment of the survey, the students were asked how long they spent to complete their sentences. 196 students felt there was a short pause (4–9 minutes) when answering the question, 9 students spent more than 10 minutes, and 128 students felt that their responses were immediate (1–3 minutes). Additionally, the students were asked if writing the sentences increased their satisfaction — even in the slightest bit — with their current situation. Only 18 students, or 5.4%, answered “No” to this question.
Now, what does this mean?
The middle schoolers were sent the survey by their counselors and they were encouraged to complete it because it was ‘good for them’, a familiar phrase we hear in a health class or when parents encourage their children to eat healthy. After completing the sentences, many students were able to notice that they became more content with their current situation and were able to realize the immediate benefits of completing a short and easy task.
If a middle schooler can do it, so can you!
We should all be fueling both our minds and our bodies. In a time like this, shouldn’t we be encouraging both? It is necessary to have mental strength in times like these and gratitude will allow us to fuel our minds to obtain this strength. We all have different ways of coping and spurring positive thoughts, but sentences of gratitude or writing in a gratitude journal, provide positive thoughts or ‘mind food’ that is accessible to all, even if you have to stay indoors.
Take time to fill out the three sentences on a sheet of paper or a ‘Notes’ app on your phone. If you’d also like to see tangible results from your practice, you can see how long it takes to complete your sentences. The hope is that as you continue this practice, there will be less thinking time and more writing. As you gradually increase your positivity intake, you will find that there will be many more things to be grateful for because your mindset is slowly shifting. Another way is to ask a friend or family member if you can text each other three things that they are grateful for at the end of the day. You get three more positive statements that will spur positive thoughts and fuel your mind with the right type of mind food — gratiFOOD!
References:
“Gratitude.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers. www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/gratitude.
