Drew Horn, House Director at Butler and Member of the Mental Health Taskforce
It’s that time of year again–daylight is dwindling, it’s getting colder, and end-of-semester is here. Thankfully, it’s also the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year, a time when many head home for the holidays, spend quality time with loved ones, and share annual traditions with one another.
It’s the holiday season and a time for many to reflect on what they are most thankful for. For a lot of us, this season is the only time we really practice gratitude.
When was the last time you went out of your way to truly thank someone for doing something positive in your life? Is sharing gratitude even something worth thinking about when we’re all stressed out about everything else?
In short, YES!
Neuroscientists find that when you practice gratitude, your brain releases serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters. If you haven’t been in a neuroscience class recently, those are the brain’s “feel-good chemicals” associated with pleasure and rewards.
Essentially, when you purposefully express gratitude, your brain rewards you!
These feel-good chemicals are also famous for helping build emotional resiliency and combat feelings of depression, anxiety, and toxic stress. Expressing gratitude can also help you get better sleep and reduce overall stress.
With the daylight decreasing and the pressure of finals hurtling towards us, we often see a stress-induced dip in our mental health. Now is the time to start building healthy practices to fight against these negative emotions. Here are five tips for expressing gratitude and potentially tapping into that much-needed mental boost.
Thank Your Brothers
Think about the brother who stayed up late helping you study to pass that tough exam. Think about the brothers who helped you pull off a successful philanthropy event or helped you recruit one of your favorite new members. Think about the brother who was there for you when you really needed someone to talk to.
We do countless things for one another as fraternity men, but we usually forget to thank each other. Consider simply sending those brothers a text thanking them and letting them know you appreciate their brotherhood. It may seem small, but this might be what our brothers need to hear. If you’re feeling confident, thank them in person. Some chapters have an end-of-chapter tradition of shouting out brothers who have helped them that week. Some call this “Pass the Gavel,” “Proud to Be,” or “Glad and Proud.” Many Chapters have a weekly tradition of naming a “Phi of the Week,” honoring the brother who went above and beyond that week for the chapter. If your chapter doesn’t already have one of these traditions, talk to your leaders and start this tradition.
Thank Your Professors
Why not thank your favorite professors at the end of the semester? Professors have often been teaching for many years, and they will remember the students who went out of their way to express gratitude. Try writing a short thank you note and giving it to them on the last day of class. If this feels awkward at first, consider the benefit of how this act of gratitude could begin to build that professional relationship between you and your professor and naturally make asking for a reference letter later down the line that much smoother.
Thank Your Advisers
When did you last thank active alumni, Chapter Advisory Board members, or province president for their work supporting your chapter? These individuals selflessly volunteer their time for the betterment of your chapter. Take the time to write them a note and highlight ways in which their advice has helped steer the chapter in a positive direction.
Thank Your Facility Support Staff
If your chapter is privileged enough to have a chapter facility, consider thanking the chefs, house director, or other support staff who help run the building. These individuals do a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the physical spaces of brotherhood running smoothly. Consider getting them a card or purchasing a small gift from the chapter. This small act of gratitude could mean a lot to these unsung Phi Delt heroes.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Starting a journal is probably the easiest tip for any brothers who feel a little anxious expressing gratitude to someone else. Gratitude journals with daily prompts can be found in any bookstore, while there are also gratitude apps you can download for daily reminders. You could even use a regular spiral notebook or your phone’s Notes app. Whatever you decide, find a way to document daily your feelings of gratitude and reflect on them later. Write just a few words or sentences each day about things that you are grateful for, and challenge yourself to do this practice daily for at least one month. Even by simply stopping to reflect on the things we are grateful for, we can tap into those feel-good chemicals and begin to combat some of those negative emotions.
This season, many of our brothers stay up late, cramming for exams and stressing out about grades. This added stress has the potential to negatively impact our mental health. There are countless ways to express your gratitude to others, so find the best way for you and try it. Consider sharing your gratitude this season with your brothers and your community to boost your mental health and spread those positive emotions to everyone around you.
Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!
