“What do you say mate?” your mum nudges you as the waitress hands you your dinosaur nuggets.
“Thank you.”
You have always been told to use good manners, and to say thank you, but what does thank you actually mean? Is it just two meaningless words uttered with monotonous regularity, or is it a tool that can alleviate mental health issues generating happiness and a sense of wellbeing? Gratitude is the sunlight that lights up those dark days.
The ability to be grateful is at the core of personal success.
Why we should we be grateful.
We all know that gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It is also widely known as a big part of tackling mental health issues that plague our youth today. Almost half of the population suffers or has suffered from mental health related issues.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 3144 Australians took their own life last year and, of these, 112 were children under the age of 17.
Shocked? We should be.
As a society, we must take immediate action to save these lives. Gratitude has the power to reduce these numbers drastically and make the youth’s feelings of happiness, skyrocket.
So how does gratitude really work?
Gratitude has been linked directly to improving mental health. By focusing on the positive aspects of life and appreciating what one has, gratitude can shift attention away from negative thoughts and promote a more positive mindset. It is as simple as writing down three things a day for which you are grateful.
The result? You will realise that your life is worth living.
Don’t believe me, well, it was proven in a study regarding gratitude. In 2010 two world leading scientific researchers and Harvard psychologists, Dr Emmons, and Dr McCullough, conducted a study whereby participants either wrote about things they were grateful for, or daily irritations. After ten weeks the findings were groundbreaking. They discovered that those who wrote about gratefulness, felt more optimistic and felt better about their lives, whilst the others felt miserable and negative.
Yet another example of the myriad of benefits of gratitude is the increased resilience which with you will be armed. Practising gratitude can encourage you to look for the best in any situation and the lessons that could be learned. This newfound resilience will empower you with not only a positive mindset but with a belief that you can and will overcome challenges. You will look for the light in the darkest situation, the silver lining.
A study done by Gloria and Steinhardt in 2016 found a link between gratitude and resilience noting that “Gratitude fosters adaptive coping mechanisms”. This means that when faced with challenges such as having 11 assignments due next Tuesday, you can practise gratitude to develop healthy responses to stress.
So, what now?
Too many teenagers are depressed, overwhelmed with schoolwork and burdened by unhealthy relationships. But this doesn’t have to be you.
Start being grateful, and you will find a complete shift in your wellbeing. All that has to be done is take five minutes before bed to write down some things by which you are grateful, could be lunchtime touch, dinner, or even your best mate. So, together, as a TGS community armed with gratitude let's create an environment where saying " thank you" is not just a polite gesture but a tool for personal success and happiness.
- By Daniel Wilson, Year 9 TGS student
References
J., & Wong, J. (2017, June 6). How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. Greater Good; The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. https://greatergood.berkeley.e...
Carpenter, D. (2018). The Science Behind Gratitude (and How It Can Change Your Life). Happify.com. https://www.happify.com/hd/the...
Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, August 14). Giving thanks can make you happier. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu...
Mindful Staff. (2019, November 25). How to Practice Gratitude. Mindful. https://www.mindful.org/an-int...
Latest Blog
Filmmaker, Storyteller and Visionary
From his days as a boarding student at Toowoomba Grammar School, where he first dipped his toes into the world of filming GPS sporting events, to his current roles as sports documentarian and founder of the Outback Film Club, Clancy’s journey is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance. Establishing Outback Film Club has been a real triumph The echoes of school war cries reverberating around the Chandler Aquatic Centre in 2011 marked the start of Clancy’s cinematic journey.…
A Cut Shot Above The Rest
Ben’s sport takes him to the best beaches on the planet, but his love of volleyball began back at Toowoomba Grammar School, inspired after seeing his older brother play. As Ben explains, he was hooked:
Gummingurru Excursion - Deep Time History of Australia on our Doorstep
Gummingurru is unique in being the best-preserved initiation site in southeast Queensland, including bora rings and various stone arrangements that have ancient links to the totems and kinship practices of the Jarowair and Giabal people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, as well as the broader region within the highly significant cultural landscape of the Bunya Mountains. The boys were welcomed to, and guided through, the site and its learning centre by Mr Shannon Bauwens, a Western Wakka…
Responding to Negative Peer Interactions
As we approach the end of Term 3, we find it is typically a time when boys start to get tired and emotional and are most likely to make poor decisions that can lead to relationship challenges between peers. Comments and humour shared between mates that may have been received without concern in the first week of the term may change as boys start to tire and their tolerance levels decrease. This may lead to boys reacting with heightened and overly emotional responses. This is normal as boys are…
Boarding is who we are
Our boarders make up nearly one third of our student cohort from Years 5 to 12, which enables us to consider the boarding experience in all that we do at the School. Every boarding experience at TGS is about equipping boys with the skills to function as a student and preparing them for their future.
Making a Positive Impact with Homework Assistance
The Anglicare Homework Assistance Program (HAP), run in conjunction with Darling Heights State School, sees many of our boys volunteer their time on Wednesdays after class to help many young refugee and primary school students facing challenging times with their homework, or to chat and play games. Our boys thoroughly enjoy meeting, supporting and learning about the lives of the younger children. This forges community connections and fosters inclusion for the Darling Heights students; it also…
Fresh Faces Guide - TGS Sportsmen into the Fray
With their dedication to excellence and player development, TGS athletes are in good hands as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of competitive sports.
Honouring Tradition, Preparing for the Future
They will invariably be inspired by effective teaching and the satisfaction of personal achievement will always be motivating. At Toowoomba Grammar School, the power of high-quality instructional practices has resulted in the development of a strong academic culture that has endured for nearly 150 years. Preserving core principles provides stability and continuity. However, we must be open to continuously adapting our methods so that our students are well-prepared for the ever-changing world…
We See You - Mitchell Wilkes
That was the heart-wrenching diagnosis for Year 10 student, Mitchell Wilkes, right on Christmas in 2021. Mitchell’s mum noticed he wasn’t reading properly and had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with his eyesight. A trip to the optometrist revealed a thinning in the retina, and further tests showed that Mitchell had a genetic condition called Stargardt Disease, a juvenile macular degeneration illness that results in slow central vision loss.
