We Take Everything for Granted... Until We Don't

My Classroom-Tested Gratitude Experiment

I have a strict no cellphone policy in my class.

But for one day out of the year, I make an exception.

First, students rate their current mood level on an index card.

Next, they close their eyes and think of one person they are grateful for and why.

Then, I break the school rule, “Take out your cellphones. I want you to call or text that person right now.”

They’re shocked, nervous, and excited.

Some call their parents.

Some send voice texts to their friends.

After they finish their call or text, all of them rate their mood levels.

This is where the data gets really exciting.

100% of my students claim their mood levels rose after the experiment. For six years running, this has been the case for all of my 800+ high school students.

Every single student.

Every single time.

One student showed me her friend’s response, “Are you dying? Is it cancer? Why are you saying this? Now I’m crying in class.”

Over two-thirds of students chose to call their parents.

And… most parents picked up the call in a panic.

I’m sure they were thinking, “Why is my kid calling me in the middle of the school day?”

But after hearing their child express their gratitude, the panic turns into joy and sometimes tears. I know this because students tell me; parents too.

Over the next few days, my inbox gets flooded with lengthy parent emails about how much they love this experiment. They also wrote about how surprised they were.

So, I raised this question to students, “Did anyone else have someone who responded with surprise?”

Most of the room raised their hand.

The students and I then explore reasons why that might be, and we’d eventually come to the conclusion that expressing gratitude and “loving” emotions like this, is not part of our normal conversations.

But maybe it should be?

Expressing gratitude has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, fostering a more positive outlook*. It’s also been linked to building stronger interpersonal relationships*. By thinking about things you already have in life, you’re able to significantly improve it. Pretty neat.

The science actually says that you’re receiving some of the psychological benefits of gratitude right now*. Just by reading this.

Choosing an attitude of gratitude is a universal winner.

Gratitude mostly involves being grateful for things that happened in the past, while our next lesson focuses on savoring the present.

References and notes:

1. SoulPancake. “The Science of Happiness - Gratitude Experiment.” YouTube, uploaded by SoulPancake, 11 October 2013,. “This semi-professional experiment was something I basically replicated for the purposes of showing the benefits of gratitude.”

2. Seligman, Martin E. P., et al. “Empirical validation of interventions: Positive psychology progress.” American Psychologist, vol. 60, no. 5, 2005, pp. 410-421. “This study demonstrates that practicing gratitude, such as writing a letter of thanks, significantly reduced depressive symptoms and increased happiness over several weeks.”

3. Emmons, Robert A., and Michael E. McCullough. “Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 84, no. 2, 2003, pp. 377-389. “This research shows that individuals who regularly express gratitude report lower levels of anxiety and depression and higher overall life satisfaction.”

4. Froh, Jeffrey J., et al. “Who Benefits the Most from a Gratitude Intervention in Children and Adolescents? Examining Positive Affect as a Moderator.” Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 4, no. 5, 2009, pp. 408–422. “This research specifically highlighted how focusing on gratitude shifted participants’ perspectives, fostering positive psychological outcomes, however, gratitude journaling didn’t work as well in my class.”