Association of Washington School Principals
Volume 1 – 2020-21
Buckets of Grate-FULL-ness
Gratitude practices — even for just 10 minutes a day — can pay significant mental health dividends
Gina Yonts
Associate Director, AWSP
Thanksgiving is not the only time of year to be thinking about and counting your blessings. COVID-19 has definitely pushed everyone’s patience, leadership, creativity and ability to find positivity in an ever-changing sea of unpredictability.
However, the body of research that is mounting in the mental health field touting the importance of gratitude practices and consistent reflection and meditation is growing and showing positive results for our individual happiness and mental well-being. Throughout quarantine, the days have been long and full. Working from home and not having a clear delineation between work and home, left me in a position to be logging too many hours on my computer and filling my schedule so full it felt like I was working many hours beyond full time. My brain struggled to shut off at night. As self-help articles began to fill up my Twitter feed and professional journals, the concept of daily meditation coupled with practices around gratitude consistently started to show up in these resources as well. Exploring these two routines has been a game changer for me personally and professionally.
Overall, the participants who expressed gratitude measured higher levels of productivity in their work settings, exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms and expressed more overall feelings of optimism towards the upcoming work week than those who did not participate in gratitude practices.
Two scientists from UC Davis and University of Miami, performed an experiment to measure feelings of happiness in participants who routinely wrote about things they were grateful for 10 minutes on a weekly basis. Overall, the participants who expressed gratitude measured higher levels of productivity in their work settings, exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms and expressed more overall feelings of optimism towards the upcoming work week than those who did not participate in gratitude practices. This research was all I needed to get myself focused and motivated! The practice of journaling has proven to be relaxing for me, but even more fun is to look back at the journaling I started back five months ago, watching my attitude and focus shift as quarantine continued throughout the summer. As this practice has evolved, I have stumbled across many resources and experts who are encouraging these daily exercises. To keep the gratitude practice fresh I have added the following prompts to my journal entries, giving myself options and new opportunities to think about the work from different perspectives. Here are some of my favorite prompts, taken from Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferris (pgs 146-147): Morning intentions:
  • 3 things I am grateful for ….
  • 3 things that would make today great?
  • 3 daily affirmations about myself: I am …
Four different categories for “I am grateful for…” journaling:
  • A relationship that really helped you or that you valued highly
  • An opportunity you have today. Whether that’s an opportunity to call a family member or go to work. It doesn’t have to be large!
  • Something great that happened yesterday, whether you experienced or witnessed it
  • Something simple near you or within sight. Simple and concrete (a beautiful cloud, the pen you’re using, the coffee you’re drinking, whatever it might be.)
End of Work Day/Evening Intentions:
  • 3 Amazing things that happened today….
  • How could I have made today better?
One of the silver linings I am most proud of during the past six months has been my ability to slow down and invest in practices that keep me at my best for my family and for our organization.
Daily meditation and journaling about what I am most grateful for have been excellent opportunities to personally focus at the beginning of each day. It has helped me feel productive, positive and optimistic. I know that I am not alone, as I get the opportunity to have many friends, family and colleagues show up regularly on the pages of my journal. I feel stronger and more focused heading into this unpredictable school year as well as refreshed at reflecting back over the journey and how far I have come.
Who would have thought that one of the most challenging seasons in school leadership would leave me feeling more optimistic and grateful. I began early in shut-down with a solid 10 minutes of daily intention setting and have increased that over the past few months? Some days I do 10 minutes, others I have a bit more time to devote to the practice. Gratitude journaling has been a consistent 10 minutes daily, and that amount of time just seems to work for me.
What I can share is that my leadership bucket has been filled, by ME. I am owning how full it is or on some days, how empty it is…it’s something I am in charge of, something I can control. Given the unpredictability of 2020 so far, it's comforting to know I am in charge of something: my own sanity!
I encourage you to join me in these practices. Start by answering the question, “How full is my bucket?” ◼
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Association of Washington School Principals
Washington Principal | Volume 1 – 2020-21