Episode 13 Transcript & Links
Links
Link to Article: “Giving Thanks Makes You Happier”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
Link to Research Study: “Counting Blessings Versus Burdens”
https://bit.ly/GratitudeResearch
Transcript
0:01 Jordan: Hi there! Welcome to Well Dukes, brought to you by the Well. Each week, you’ll hear conversations from a variety of JMU staff and students, which we hope challenge what you know, think, or do in regards to your own health and helps you be Well Dukes.
0:22 Mikayla: Welcome everyone, my name is Mikayla Comer. I’m the Health Promotion Coordinator at the Well, and I’ll be your host for today’s episode: practicing gratitude. Today, I also have with me two of our Well Peers, Hanna and Holly, and I’ll let them introduce themselves.
0:34 Holly: Hi, my name is Holly. I am a senior Health Sciences major and I am also a Chronic Illness minor, and yeah, I really enjoy thinking about things that just kind of make me stop and see the positive. Especially with everything going on, so I think it’s a really important episode.
0:51 Hanna: Hi, I’m Hanna. I’m a junior Dietetics major and I’m just really excited to be here today.
0:58 Mikayla: And if I didn’t mention it earlier, both Hanna and Holly are part of our Well Peers group, which I advise, so I’m super happy to have both of them here with me today. So folks, we are in the midst of the holiday season. And this time of year brings about different experiences, emotions, and expectations for different people. We often make the assumption that this is always a warm, cozy, and festive time for everybody, but that’s not always the case for some. The holiday season can bring about feelings of sadness and anxiety. If this sounds like you or someone you know, we want to help you navigate those emotions and provide some strategies to consider. Research suggests that practicing or expressing gratitude can actually increase one’s happiness and level of connection with others. In fact, research derived from the University of California-Davis and the University of Miami suggests that simply writing a few sentences a week about what you’re grateful for can actually increase your level of optimism, satisfaction, and positive outlook on life. Practicing gratitude pushes us to recognize the positive moments in our lives and to develop a connection with others who positively impact us, especially when we express that gratitude towards them, to them. So I want to hear from you both. What is your gratitude, it can be for this week, this month, this year? And who are you thankful for to have in your life and why?
2:19 Holly: I think that I’m just really grateful for my friends that I’ve made here and my friends from back home, and I’m also really grateful for my family. I think with everything going on, it’s really nice to have a kind of, like, a support group and some people that you can talk to and take the time to talk to. I’m also really thankful in general for coffee, because I drink it every day, and I don’t think I would be able to get through the day and get through school without it. So I think that that for me is just something that I’m grateful for and grateful that it was invented.
2:53 Mikayla: I respect that.
2:56 Hanna: I’m grateful for things that are similar to Holly: my friends and family and boyfriend provide a really good support system for me. And I know that that has-- I’ve really leaned on that during this time. And I’m also just really grateful for the opportunity to be at JMU and study. It’s such a beautiful place. We’re surrounded by, like, the most beautiful mountains and I just am always so grateful when I drive to campus and I get to see them on my way in, so.
3:24 Mikayla: I feel that. We actually, my fiancé and I, actually went to Skyline Drive a few weekends ago and it was just a wonderful moment to look over the mountain ridge and just be like, “Oh my gosh. I live there. I get to experience this every day.” And so I think that’s so important for us to recognize: there’s beauty all around us. There are things to be positive for, and if we only ever focus on the negative, sometimes we lose sight of those positive, beautiful things that are all around us. So yes, Hanna, definitely the beauty of JMU’s campus. Oh my goodness I love it. And Holly, too, yeah, support of family and friends. Absolutely, I cannot imagine navigating 2020 without friends and family. It has been an interesting year to say the least, and I’m so, so thankful to have people around me and it sounds like you all are too. So that’s awesome. I also want to add a little tidbit here. I don’t know if either one of you noticed, but have you seen the post-it notes throughout different Dining Services locations on campus? Have you noticed this?
4:21 Holly: Yeah, I actually saw them this morning when I stopped at Dunkin Donuts. They had a whole wall and they had, like, colored pencils and, like, pens and a stack of post-it notes that I’m assuming you could stop and, like, write stuff on. I thought that was really interesting because I haven’t been really around campus, just because I don’t live on campus. And so it was kind of fun to see, like, I thought it was cool.
4:42 Mikayla: Same! I was so curious. I saw it this morning and I was like, “I’m gonna go check that out.” And what it actually is is Dining Services has this “Attitude of Gratitude” campaign, which was just perfect timing for this episode in general and the season that we’re in. But essentially, they asked students what they’re grateful for. So, I went through and looked at the different post-it notes and I took a picture. And here are some of the responses that I thought were just super sweet, genuine, and just perfect. Some students put “great friends,” “JMU dining staff,” “Wendy’s smile,” and this is referencing the infamous Wendy from Dunkin at the Student Success Center. She’s lovely. “The JMU Club Swim team,” “Various pets,” with very cute names and some very interesting names, as well as some supportive family members, roommates, and that’s just to name a few. But, if you haven’t had a chance to check that out yet, please do! It is very colorful, it’s very exciting. And just a reminder that there-- we have things to be grateful for and I love that it’s on a platform that people don’t think of expressing gratitude. Or when they go to pick up their lunch or grab a coffee, like, they’re not thinking about who they’re thankful for and what they’re thankful for, maybe. So, it’s very unexpected but I think it definitely carries some weight for students, which was really cool. So, I want to shift gears for just a moment with living in a pandemic, and the various stressors that this year has brought us. It can be difficult to focus on the positive aspects of our lives. So, specifically, how do you practice gratitude?
6:13 Hanna: I practice gratitude by calling a loved one. That’s a really good way that I find that I can connect with people, especially now even if they’re a little bit farther away. And so I just think that connecting with people like that and being a really good listener is one real way that I can show gratitude towards others.
6:37 Holly: Um, I think for me, one of the main things I kind of do is that, if I’m feeling stressed and just, there’s a lot of negative thoughts and stuff piling up, I kind of just try and take a minute to kind of get myself-- pull myself out of that and just think of, like, a couple positive things that I’m grateful for. Especially with, like, you know, doing all the classes online at home and you’re stuck in your room at your desk doing it. I kind of just step away and I think, “Okay, well I’m grateful that I have my friends here. I’m grateful that I’m living with people that I enjoy living with, and I’m grateful that I get to see all my friends at JMU.” Like Hanna said, I’m grateful that I get to even talk to my friends who are at other schools and in other states. That kind of just, take a moment and reset myself by trying to think of some of the positives in my life that are going on instead of being kind of bogged down by all the negative things that are happening with everything going on. But that’s kind of just how I take my five minutes.
7:31 Mikayla: I love that. So I’m hearing from both of you is: connection and then just taking a moment to sit with yourself. Those grounding techniques of, “I’m in this space. I’m thankful for what’s around me,” and being very intentional in that. So I’m hearing a lot of different things from you both, which is so great. Yes, but especially that connection with others, living in 2020, everything being virtual, the things that I always took for granted. I never thought I would see the day that I would be talking with folks virtually. I didn’t think that we’d be having our Well Peer meetings via Zoom every week. I just, I would have never pictured that. But there is something interesting about that connection this year, there’s something very intentional about it. And people are seeking each other out and being able to practice gratitude in that way. So, not only acknowledging what we're grateful for by expressing that gratefulness to the people around us. I think it is just so important this year. And it really does go a long way in just promoting positive thinking, optimism, and just overall strong mental health. So I really, I hope students hear that and I really appreciate you both sharing that. So, another question for you: What are some ways that you think students can cultivate or practice gratitude on their own?
8:47 Holly: Um, I mean I think, like I said, you kind of just-- You can try picking a time of day, like if you're more of a morning person when you wake up, make take two, three, five minutes to kind of just think about the things you’re grateful for and the positive things in your life. Or, you know, if you’re more of, like, a night person, you want to kind of do it before bed, like, take that time to kind of destress and just think, “Oh, like I’m grateful for this, this, and this. And I’m grateful that this happened today, grateful that I got to go do this.” Um, and then I guess like, when you’re-- if you’re- get stressed, just try and like, take a step back from the thing that’s stressing you out and think about it then. I find that that kind of helps me, like, destress a little bit to the point where I’m not about to, like, stop doing everything.
9:32 Hanna: Yeah, another way that I find is helpful for myself is to write things down that I’m grateful for. After reflecting on them, I like to kind of see them written out. It’s a really good reminder. I like lists and that’s usually how I go about my days, is a to-do list. So just kind of carrying over that idea, but I just really like to see it written down because it’s more concrete that way for me.
9:57 Mikayla: Those are some really great examples. SO, I have a few listed here that I kind of want to share to see if this would resonate with our listeners, too. But some ideas can be writing a thank you note, thanking someone mentally or in person, like Hanna was saying, picking up the phone and calling that loved one or that friend or that roommate if you don’t see them face-to-face. You can also keep a gratitude journal, and you can pick a day of the week to specifically practice gratitude. Like Holly was saying, she’s got that specific time of day where she’s intentional about making those connections and being grateful for what’s around her. If you can pick a day of the week and it can be your day of gratitude and you’re just aware of what you’re thankful for, who you’re thankful for, and making that connection with others. So what is something that you want our listeners to take away today? How can they apply what we’ve talked about to their own lives?
10:45 Hanna: One thing that I would like the listeners to take away is that expressing gratitude can not only make you feel good, but also somebody else. And then they can go about their day and show someone else gratitude so it can really have a ripple effect, which I think is awesome for such a small thing that doesn’t take very long.
11:05 Holly: Yeah, and I think going off of that too, is just focusing on the positives. I mean, there is a lot of, there’s a lot of negatives going on and there is a lot of stress right now with classes, how they are, and everything feels like every-- all of your classes just feel more like you’re not, you’re never stopping. You’re never getting a break. Just really think, focusing on the positive sand you know, like Hanna said, just being grateful for things is, I just, I feel like that’s something that everyone should take away, because as much, as much negative as there is in the world, you just got to focus on, like, your little positives that you have.
11:38 Mikayla: I completely agree, absolutely. So in the same vein, what advice would you give to your first year self? So you both are junior and senior, so looking back, what would you tell your first year self?
11:55 Hanna: I would tell my first year self to slow down a little bit and relax. Because time does go quickly, especially as a junior looking back. So yeah, just enjoy every moment that you can.
12:09 Holly: Yeah, going off that, I would probably tell myself to slow down a little bit too. I was a little bit crazy in how I, like, piled on classes because I was so nervous that I wasn’t going to finish all the classes. But, um, I would probably tell myself to slow down. Have fun. Do you work as you should because you’re also here to learn as much as you are to have fun and have a new experience. But I would also tell myself to kind of get out into Harrisonburg and experience a little bit more. I found that this year, I’ve kind of done a little bit more and, like, driven around more than I did the past three years. Which is kind of sad because it’s my last year but I didn’t want to count it, so I- so I got to it. But that’s probably what I would tell myself and make a point of telling myself: “Just get out, get out of your comfort zone and see new things.”
12:55 Mikayla: Yes, I love that. And last question for you: if you could be a member of any fictional family, what family would you choose?
13:01 Holly: Um, I’m a little weird. I would probably want to be a part of, like, some sort of like spy or superhero family. Just because I think it’d be really cool to have, like, a superpower or like be really great at, like, being a spy. I think that would be really, really interesting to, like, go about and, like, be secretive. I don’t have a specific family in mind, because I don’t know, but I just think, like, having a spy family would be really awesome.
13:29 Hanna: I think I’d want to be part of the Cheaper by the Dozen family, if you guys have ever seen that movie. That was like my favorite movie growing up, so, for those that don’t know they had twelve kids. And so, I just think that would be so fun, like, such a big family like that.
13:45 Mikayla: That’s awesome. Not the answers I was expecting. I was expecting some Bob’s Burgers in there, Simpsons, or something, but no those are great answers. I love that. All right, listeners. Thank you so much for tuning in to this weeks’ episode of practicing gratitude on the Well Dukes podcast. Be sure to check out our social media @WellDukes on Instagram for the latest updates on all things The Well, the Well Dukes podcast, and the Well Peers. Also, be sure to tune in next week for our episode that will take a deep dive discussion into cannabis, hemp, and the differences between CBD and THC. That’s a wrap for this episode! Just remember, be well, Dukes.
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