Gratitude is a potent emotion that can significantly aid in the process of recovering from a sports injury. When you first read the word, “gratitude,” you may have thought about Thanksgiving. Yes, giving thanks is part of it. It's much more than that; it's about fostering a profound sense of appreciation in your life, even in the face of adversity.
When we experience a sports injury, it's all too easy to become entrapped in a cycle of negativity and self-pity. The focus can often shift onto our pain, our inability to engage in our favorite activities, and the exasperation that comes with the slow recovery process. However, the practice of gratitude has the potential to shift our focus from what we've lost to what we still have in our life. Gratitude is a practice and is very much like changing any mental skill we discuss here.
Gratitude as a Skill
Gratitude encourages us to acknowledge the good in our lives. Despite the temporary setback of an injury, gratitude can help us realize that there are still many things to be thankful for. This could be the unwavering support of our friends and family who stand by us in our time of need. It could be the medical professionals tirelessly working to aid our recovery. Or it could be the sheer resilience and healing capacity of our own bodies.
Dr. Brene’ Brown has done tons of research into what allows people to live “wholehearted” lives even when terrible things have happened to them. In her writings and lectures, she shares these stories from her research and then creates frameworks to understand them. One of her biggest takeaways is the link between joy and gratitude. She says that during her 12 years of research, every person she interviewed who said they were joyful also practiced gratitude. Notice that she doesn’t say they ARE grateful, like it is just a status you acquire, she says “practiced gratitude.”
She concludes that it isn’t positivity or joy that makes us grateful; it is the practice of gratitude that makes us joyful.
Again, that aligns with the mental skills we discuss here. You aren’t just resilient or confident…you practice behaviors and perspective shifts that lead to feelings of resilience and confidence. Let’s look at some of the additional benefits of gratitude.
Benefits of Gratitude
Numerous studies have linked gratitude to reducing stress levels and increasing happiness, improved mood, and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety (Emmons & Mishra, 2011). Gratitude interventions have been shown to enhance positive emotions and foster resilience, buffering against stress and adversity (Wood et al., 2010).
By cultivating a habit of gratitude, individuals may develop a more positive outlook on life, which can contribute to greater overall psychological functioning and resilience in the face of challenges. By helping us maintain a more optimistic and positive outlook on our recovery journey, gratitude indirectly promotes physical healing. The mind and body are intimately linked, and a positive mental state can greatly enhance the body's capacity to heal.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated that engaging in gratitude activates brain regions associated with reward processing and interpersonal bonding (Kini et al., 2016). That means, that when we practice gratitude, we are getting pings in our reward centers…much like when our social media posts get hearts and likes. Research specifically exploring gratitude and sport injuries linked the practice of gratitude with Sport Injury Related Growth (SIRG) and stronger social connections; (Salim & Wadey, 2021)
Practicing Gratitude
Practicing gratitude can easily be incorporated into our daily routines. Here are a few options:
However you decide to practice it, gratitude can help you in your injury recovery, rehab process, and return to play. Recovering from a sports injury can indeed be a challenging time, filled with frustration and setbacks. However, embracing gratitude can help you maintain a positive mindset, making the recovery journey a little bit easier. By recognizing and appreciating the good in our lives, we can cultivate a mental space that promotes healing and resilience.
