Gratitude and the Glass-Half-Empty Lens

I used to find myself stuck in negative thinking. Whether I was staying in or going out, I seemed to view everything through a kind of negative prism—as if life was filtered through a glass-half-empty lens.

So what to do with this uncomfortable place?

Various suggestions were offered, but one that stood out to me was the practice of gratitude.

Now, I’m not saying gratitude is a magic fix or some kind of silver bullet. But here’s what I’ve noticed: over time, and with steady practice, it helped soften that negative filter. It hasn’t made everything perfect, but it has helped me notice more of what’s meaningful. And the strange thing is, I started to find that meaning in the most mundane of things. What a nice relief!

So, from my experience, I know there was a shift. But for those who remain skeptical and prefer an evidence-based approach, here’s what science has to say.

Studies using brain scans have shown that practising gratitude activates areas of the brain linked to reward and positive emotions.¹ One study even found that people who regularly kept a gratitude journal had more activity in the prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain involved in planning and decision-making—compared to those who didn’t.²

That same article notes that gratitude seems to help us unshackle from toxic emotions. It ends with a nice observation:

“Much of our time and energy is spent pursuing things we currently don’t have. Gratitude reverses our priorities to help us appreciate the people and things we do.”

This is welcome news to my glass-half-empty lens. It appears that gratitude helps balance the brain’s natural tendency to focus on threats or what’s missing. Over time, it can gently rewire how we respond to life.

Gratitude is very easy to practice. You might start by writing down five things you’re thankful for each day. I send my list to a friend, and they send me theirs. In this way, I build an “appreciation connection” with my environment and with someone I care about.

I try to do this every day, but I don’t beat myself up if I miss a day. I’m learning to be gentle with myself—and in doing so, I feel less of that old pressure to be perfect. I would also add that reading your list just before you go to bed can be a positive and celebratory way to end the day.

As you can probably sense, there’s a lot in this simple exercise and it costs very little!

If you’re curious about how gratitude might help soften your own glass-half-empty lens, I’ve created a simple, easy-to-use Gratitude List Resource to help you get started.

Gratitude list.odt

Download ODT • 16KB

References¹ Neural Correlates of Gratitude – Frontiers in Psychology (2015)² How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain – Greater Good Magazine (2017)