5 Ways Gratitude Makes Special Needs Parents More Resilient

For years after my complex daughter, Beth, came home from the hospital, I lived stuck in tunnel vision. All I could see was my difficult circumstances, loss, daily grief, and pain. Then, I learned how practicing gratitude could change my life and bring me greater contentment and resilience. I’ve discovered these 5 ways gratitude can be very powerful for myself and for other caregivers.

5 Ways Practicing Gratitude Increases Resilience

1. Gives Us a New Perspective

Research has shown that expressing gratitude for one thing daily improves caregivers’ wellbeing and outlook on life. Being thankful opens our eyes to appreciate different aspects of our lives that we can miss when we’re focused on our difficulties and loss.

Looking for blessings and positives creates new possibilities in our lives.

Seeing new possibilities increases hope. When I began to force myself to look for ways God had blessed our family, I was surprised by how many good moments I had been missing. Discover more ways to cultivate a new perspective.

2. Protects Our Mental Health

When caregivers live with a high level of gratitude, their chances of experiencing depression and anxiety decrease. Gratitude is linked to greater resilience and more effective coping. Practicing daily gratitude is a very effective coping skill because it has positive effects on our mood.

Engaging in moments from a viewpoint of gratitude improves our experiences.

When we feel thankful, we usually smile. Smiling naturally improves our mood. Learn more ways to protect your mental health.

3. Improves Our Relationships

Feeling your spouse’s gratitude for you can significantly improve your marriage happiness, closeness, and satisfaction for both of you. Journaling prayers of gratitude thanking God for events and for your spouse can significantly increase life satisfaction, emotional wellbeing, and improve your relationship.

Expressing gratitude to your spouse also increases forgiveness.

Leaving little notes thanking your spouse and expressing gratitude for their qualities or things they say and do can give your relationship a boost. Learn 3 more ways to strengthen your marriage.

4. Brings Us More Joy

When I had blinders on when Beth was young, I was unable to experience joy. Then I began to name one thing each day for which I was thankful. Joy began to rise in my soul once again.

Some days I was just thankful that Beth was home and not in the hospital. This allowed me to enjoy our time together as a family in more meaningful ways. Other days, I thanked God for her beautiful smile and laugh which made me smile and enjoy taking care of her.

Sometimes we have to look for ways to create enjoyable moments.

Gratitude is powerful. Even just identifying one blessing can change our day and perspective on life.

5. Strengthens Our Faith

When we offer prayers of thanksgiving, we are acknowledging God’s goodness and gifts in our lives. This increases our trust in God and reliance on His provision and strength, which naturally deepens our faith.

Studies have shown that when caregivers rely on God in times of stress, they become more resilient.

Being thankful to God is also related to higher levels of hope.

The more we see God’s good gifts to us and embrace special moments, the deeper our relationship with Him will grow. He will fill us with His joy and show us His purpose and meaning in our lives.

How does practicing gratitude effect your life?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Blessings,

Kristin

References

Fincham, F. D., & May, R. W. (2021). Generalized Gratitude and Prayers of Gratitude in Marriage. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 282-287.

Gordon, C. L., Arnette, R. A., & Smith, R. E. (2011). Have You Thanked Your Spouse Today?: Felt and Expressed Gratitude Among Married Couples. Personality and Individual Differences, 339-343.

Kilbert, J., Rochani, H., Samawi, H., Leleux-LaBarge, K., & Ryan, R. (2019). The Impact of an Integrated Gratitude Intervention on Positive Affect and Coping Resources. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 23-41.

Lau, B. H.-P., & Cheng, C. (2017). Gratitude and Coping Among Familial Caregivers of Persons with Dementia. Aging and Mental Health, 445-453.

Ozdemir, T., Karadag, G., & Kul, S. (2021). Relationship of Gratitude and Coping Styles with Depression in Caregivers of Children with Special Needs. Journal of Religion and Health, n. pag. Web. doi:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01389-1

Schnitker, S. A., & Richardson, K. L. (2019). Framing Gratitude Journaling as Prayer Amplifies its Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being, But Not Health Benefits. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 427-439.

Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW

Kristin is an author, a speaker, a mental health therapist, and a special needs mom. Her greatest passion is walking with others on their journey to deeper faith and mental health wholeness. As a Licensed Masters Social Worker and with her Masters in Christian Spiritual Formation, she has served in youth, camping, and retreat ministries and is experienced in Christian counseling, couples and family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and crisis counseling. Kristin lives with her husband, Todd, and their two children in the Nashville, TN area. When she is not enjoying life with her family, writing or working with clients, you can find Kristin training for triathlons, reading, or simply being out in nature. Visit her author website at www.KristinFaithEvans.com