Gratitude is often misunderstood as simply “staying positive,” but it can be a powerful coping tool during difficult seasons. As Katrina Johnson, LPC, Mental Health Therapist at Lena Pope’s North Campus in Roanoke, explains, “Gratitude is about reminding ourselves that even in hard moments, we still have strength, support, and the ability to cope. It isn’t about ignoring what’s difficult, it’s about helping our brain recognize that alongside the mess, there are good parts too.”
During times of stress, gratitude can help ground us in who we are and what we are capable of handling. It is also a meaningful way to build resilience. While resilience does not come naturally or easily, it can be strengthened over time. When we experience something challenging, we can intentionally reframe our thinking to look for possibilities we may not immediately see. With practice, those neural pathways grow stronger, making it easier to respond with perspective rather than overwhelm.
“We can normalize coping skills instead of avoiding what feels hard,” Katrina shared. “You can tell yourself, ‘This is difficult, and instead of avoiding what feels hard, we can face it, talk about it, or use tools like gratitude to help us through.’” Building an internal narrative of support helps train the brain to be kinder to itself, particularly when our thoughts tend to catastrophize or spiral.
Simple ways to practice gratitude include:
- Looking for one good thing each day, especially during calmer seasons
- Practicing with someone else for accountability by asking, “What is good with you?”
- Keeping a gratitude list in a journal or on your phone
- Creating a photo album of meaningful or joyful moments
- Pausing to say something you are grateful for out loud
- Using voice notes to reflect on positive moments
- Practicing mindfulness by noticing what is happening in the present moment
- Giving yourself grace and remembering that you are human
Gratitude and resilience are also closely connected to how children learn to handle challenges. Katrina notes that “lawnmower parenting,” where adults remove every obstacle in a child’s path, can unintentionally limit a child’s ability to cope. For children to build resilience, they need opportunities to experience difficulty, receive support, and work through it successfully. Those experiences become reminders that they can handle hard things in the future.