Why an attitude of gratitude cures panic

March 13, 2021 Risa Haasbroek

God tells us again and again to be thankful. Do you want to know how many times “thanks” or “to give thanks” is mentioned in the Old Testament? It is used 102 times. And in the New Testament 71 times.

Here is a wonderful example from Psalm 100: 4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

And this one from the New Testament, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

When I was a kid, we sang this song in church often:
Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done

It is with good reason that God tells us to be thankful. An attitude of gratitude acts as a wonderful antidote to anxiety.

The human brain overemphasizes the negative and underplays the positive. That’s why criticism hurts so much more than compliments make us feel good.

Our brains’ negative bias is a scientific reality. Neural pathways detecting the negative are measurably thicker than the ones picking up positive things. We have about 60,000 thoughts a day. Some researchers think a whopping 80% of those thoughts are negative.
When we’re so overwhelmed by this negativity it is very difficult for our brains to find good solutions and be creative and make plans. Anxiety and worry paralyze our brain. When we are stressed, we can lose up to 30% of our thinking power.

How can you deliberately give as much bandwidth to positive things as you instinctively do to the negative ones? The easiest and most effective way to do that is to just decide to be more grateful.
By redirecting your brain to find something positive, the blinders come off. Suddenly, you see more possibilities to deal with the situation, gain perspective and can tap into your problem-solving capabilities. Your sense of humor can even kick in. Always a bonus.

So, step number one to solve any problem is to remind yourself of everything that’s good in the situation. Just to bring your brain back to neutral.

Concentrate on even the smallest things you can be thankful for. Sunshine peeping through leaves, the taste of your favorite ice cream, a child’s smile?

To practice thankfulness is an effective way to soothe your brain, keep it from panicking and set it to work to help you see more possibilities in your life.

TRY THIS — MAKE A LIST
Whenever I feel like freaking out because everything is going wrong in my life, I force myself to answer this question. On paper. Pen in hand.

What is still working in my life?

As my list grows, I feel myself calm down.

TRY THIS – USE THE 5:3:1 FORMULA
If you suffer from insomnia, this tip is for you. Before you turn the lights off ask yourself:

What are 5 things in my life I’m thankful for? These are usually things outside of yourself. It may include electricity, having a roof over your head, having enough to eat, your health, your family.
What are 3 wins I’ve had today? It doesn’t have to be big. For instance, I didn’t beat myself up after I’ve made that blunder; I prepared a homecooked meal today; I didn’t lose my patience with my children.
What is 1 eternal thing God granted me today? Everlasting life. Salvation. Friendship with Jesus. Just remind yourself of one of them.

Now, turn off the light. Sweet dreams!

Reach out to Risa if you are interested in learning to create your own happiness without guilt. Click on this link for more information: https://risa4coaching.com/hi-there/