It's called Gratitude (and that's right)!

I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head—the Beastie Boys’ ‘Gratitude.’ The lyrics made me reflect on how essential it is to feel and express gratitude in our lives.

“What's gonna set you free? Look inside and you'll see…When you've got so much to say it's called gratitude, and that's right”

I was reminded of something I read during my yoga teacher training—the power of gratitude and its effect on our brains.  The book, Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., has so much valuable insight, but I’ve chosen this particular section to highlight how the simple act of practicing gratitude and consciously shifting your focus to the positive can reprogram your brain over time.

Our brains are naturally wired to focus on negative experiences more than positive ones—this is called ‘negativity bias’. Negative events are flagged by the hippocampus (our memory center) and stored carefully for future reference. This wiring helps us react quickly to potential threats, but it also means we’re more likely to remember negative events more vividly.

So no, it’s not just you—it’s your brain's built-in response (think 'fight or flight').  While you likely have far more positive and neutral experiences than negative ones, your brain doesn't prioritize them as urgently, making it harder to focus on the good.

To help balance this out, here are a few simple ways you can consciously shift your focus toward the positive and rewire your brain over time:

1. Set an intention at the start of your day to look for positive moments.

2. Turn positive moments into positive experiences.

3. Savor these experiences. 

4. Let yourself feel them sinking in.

5. Keep a gratitude journal – jot down three things you’re thankful for each day, even the smallest moments. This helps train your brain to notice the good things around you.

Yes, it can feel discouraging that our brains tend to focus more on negative experiences, but the good news is, by practicing gratitude we can actively shift our attention to the positive. 

Remember, the more consistently you focus on the things you are grateful for, the more you’ll start to notice and appreciate all the good things in your life.

What’s one small thing you’re grateful for today? Drop a comment —I’d love to hear how practicing gratitude has shifted your mindset!

With gratitude,

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