Gratitude Grounding

In counseling, one of the most commonly used and powerful yet simple interventions is called grounding techniques. Grounding techniques help individuals focus on the present—not on potential future problems or the cycle of ruminating thoughts that may be occurring. A particularly impactful grounding technique that can help individuals struggling with issues like anxiety, stress, depression, rumination, or negative thoughts is gratitude.

Through the expression of gratitude, significant changes can be seen in a person’s brain chemistry and structure. Gratitude helps regulate stress hormones like cortisol, boosts the production of dopamine and serotonin, strengthens neural pathways, and even restructures the brain to react with more resilience to future difficulties. Seen through the use of fMRI scans, gratitude activates areas of the brain like the prefrontal cortex (an area involved in decision-making and emotional regulation), which can help improve long-term cognitive functioning. There are also numerous health benefits, such as improved heart health, a stronger immune system, and better sleep.

You may be thinking to yourself, “There’s no way something as simple as gratitude can do all of those things. And what does that have to do with God? Why would gratitude be so important?”

The reason gratitude is so important—and such an effective grounding technique—is because it is one of the fastest ways to change your focus. Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, the problems you’re facing, or whatever may be occurring, it forces your mind to think about things in your life that are going well.

I can also hear you saying, “But I don’t have anything to be grateful for at this moment.” And in your current situation—what you’re going through and how you feel—it may seem like that’s true. It may feel impossible to find something to be grateful for in this season. However, you may have things to be grateful for in the past—times when the Lord was faithful in your life, answered a prayer, or gave you peace during a difficult time.

Philippians 4:4–7 (NASB) says,
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Gratitude helps us look at the past and the gifts the Lord has given while bringing our requests to Him in the present. It shifts our mindset from what we lack to what we’ve been given.

One of my favorite books is The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters are written from the perspective of two demons on how to tempt humans. Pastor Brent once gave a wonderful sermon on endurance, where he shared a masterfully done voice acting/reading of what a potential correspondence about endurance between Screwtape and Wormwood might sound like (if you haven’t heard it, you need to—his accent is incredible).

It may sound odd that this is a favorite book, but the reason is that C.S. Lewis, even while writing from the perspective of demons, clearly points to the ways the Lord defeats every plan or scheme they try to create.

But what does that have to do with gratitude?

In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis writes,
“We (the devil and demons) want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow’s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present.”

God has given us the command—and the gift—to foil this plan of the enemy through the simple act of gratitude. Gratitude causes us to stop pursuing the rainbow’s end because we recognize that we’re already there—we’re in relationship with the Lord. There is no greater goal. Gratitude helps us be honest by forcing us to distinguish between wants and needs. It fosters empathy and encourages us to treat others with kindness. Gratitude leads to contentment, to being happy where we are, and to recognizing every real gift the Lord offers us right now. Even in difficult seasons, God still gives us real gifts. The greatest of these is His presence and His consistency.

James 1:17 reminds us,
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

No matter what season we’re in, we can be grateful for God’s presence and the fact that He does not change. His promises are real and enduring. So much of life involves change—often sudden or unwelcome. But no matter what comes along to shake us, God is still on the throne. When we practice gratitude, it helps us keep our focus on Him instead of on our difficulties.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

The ultimate example of all these things is the Lord. And when we express gratitude, it shifts our focus to Him. When we dwell on Him, He gifts us with peace that surpasses all understanding. Engaging in gratitude moves our focus from the anxieties of the future to the faithfulness and goodness of God. If we make gratitude a regular practice, it can radically transform how we respond to life, how our brains function, and where we place our focus—on the One who truly deserves it: the Lord.