Tips on Turning Gratitude Into GREATfullness

Update: 2024-03-01

Description

"What's your experience with gratitude? Do you write thank you letters? Do you know this emotion?" These probing questions from Dr. Michelle Flowers, a board-certified psychiatrist and guest on The Catalyst Podcast, open a fascinating dialogue on the transformative role of gratitude in healthcare. Host Dr. Lara Salyer sets the stage for a deep dive into how this profound emotion can spark innovation and foster positive change within the healthcare landscape.

Dr. Flowers, an advocate for the therapeutic power of gratitude, shares the "NOW" technique, her unique approach to cultivating gratitude among both children and adults. This method encourages individuals to Nurture themselves, Observe their environment, and embrace Wonder, fostering a daily practice of gratitude. The discussion explores the neuroscience underpinning gratitude, with a focus on the limbic system's role in emotion regulation and how sensory experiences can amplify our feelings of gratefulness.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Salyer and Dr. Flowers offer creative strategies for integrating gratitude into everyday life. They discuss engaging in hands-on activities like puzzles or art to stay present and grounded, and the significance of small acts of gratitude, such as penning thank-you notes or pausing to reflect on daily moments of joy. Dr. Salyer and Dr. Flowers emphasize that acknowledging the little joys and embracing gratitude can be a catalyst for positive change, enhancing personal well-being and inspiring innovation in healthcare practices.

Quotes

• “Gratefulness includes the fullness that you experience when you're in a true state of gratitude and it's sort of joy meets appreciation.” (9:32 | Dr. Michelle Flowers)

• “The human brain is automatically default set to hold on to negative experiences. That doesn't serve us well in our modern era because we're mostly safe. And we're holding on to these many negativities that are affecting our nervous system and we have record rates of depression and anxiety. And so what is that? You know there's something going on.” (23:43 | Dr. Michelle Flowers)

• “Sadly, a lot of times as physicians, we bought into this model of illness instead of wellness. And I, you know, this has been a gradual journey for me, but at one point I looked at the questionnaires I was giving patients and it's like, you know, I'm disinterested, I feel bad, I have suicidal thoughts, I'm anxious, you know, and I'm giving them all these questions, planting all these thoughts. I was like, where are the well-being questions? So now I have a longer well-being questionnaire, which is I feel optimistic about the future, you know, I have quality relationships. And again, I want them finishing with those thoughts planted in their head as well. And just like you said, yeah, if you focus on pain, we're going to find people to focus on that. Everyone has pain. If you focus on creativity, you're going to find that, too. Yes. Oh, I love this.” (24:57 | Michelle Flowers, M.D.)

• “Start with just before you go to sleep at night, reflecting back on your day and trying to find the best part or the least worst part, if that's where you're at right now.” (32:02 | Dr. Michelle Flowers)

Links:

Book references:

The Gratitude Project by Jeremy Adam Smith

Thanks A Thousand by AJ Jacobs

Connect with Michelle Flowers:

Website: https://www.bewellmichellemd.com/

Instagram: @bewellmichellemd

Connect with Lara:

Website: https://drlarasalyer.com

The Catalyst Way: https://drlarasalyer.com/catalyst

Instagram: @drlarasalyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer