- Jorge Steele
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Cultivating Gratitude During Difficult Times
How Gratitude Can Support You When Life Feels Heavy
Written By: Jorge Steele
About the Author
Jorge Steele, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Student Clinician
Gratitude is often misunderstood as something you practice only when life is going well. When you are overwhelmed, grieving, burnt out, or facing uncertainty, gratitude can feel out of reach or even inappropriate.
But gratitude, when approached realistically, is not about denying pain or forcing positivity. It is about widening your emotional field so that difficulty is not the only thing shaping your inner world. Research consistently shows that gratitude can act as a psychological buffer during times of crisis, helping people regulate distress, cope more effectively, and sustain emotional resilience even when circumstances are far from ideal.
This matters most when life is hard.
Why Gratitude Matters During Tough Seasons
1. It Reduces Psychological Distress
Stressful periods naturally increase anxiety, sadness, and emotional overload. However, studies show that individuals with higher levels of gratitude experience significantly lower psychological distress, even during major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic (Kumar et al., 2022).
Gratitude appears to work as a protective factor. When practiced regularly, it helps regulate emotional responses and creates moments of psychological relief, making stress feel more manageable rather than overwhelming. Gratitude based interventions have also been shown to improve coping skills and overall mental health outcomes during adversity (Kloos et al., 2022).
This does not mean distress disappears. It means it does not take over everything.
2. It Supports Emotional Well-Being
Gratitude is strongly associated with increased happiness, emotional stability, and life satisfaction. Research across different populations shows that people who regularly practice gratitude report better mental well-being, even when facing ongoing stressors (Martínez et al., 2022; Watkins et al., 2003).
During difficult seasons, your emotional system is often focused on threat, loss, or uncertainty. Gratitude gently counterbalances that by reminding your brain that support, meaning, and care still exist. For example, gratitude helped buffer the emotional impact of stress among single mothers during the pandemic, reducing the intensity of negative emotional experiences (Taylor et al., 2022).
Gratitude does not fix the situation. It supports you while you are inside it.
3. It Helps Reframe Experiences With More Flexibility
Gratitude influences how you interpret what is happening to you. Instead of becoming locked into a narrative of helplessness or despair, gratitude supports positive reframing and optimism.
Research shows that gratitude can help people reinterpret difficult experiences in ways that preserve hope and meaning, even in dire circumstances (Kock et al., 2021; Geier & Morris, 2022). This does not mean labeling hardship as “good.” It means recognizing that growth, connection, or clarity can coexist with pain.
Over time, this flexible thinking supports resilience rather than emotional shutdown.
How Gratitude Shows Up In Real Life
Gratitude during difficult times often looks quieter than people expect:
• Feeling grateful for a supportive text on a day that still feels awful
• Noticing relief when you step outside for fresh air during a stressful afternoon
• Appreciating a therapist, friend, or routine that keeps you grounded
• Acknowledging your own effort in getting through the day
These moments do not erase hardship. They soften it.
How To Cultivate Gratitude When Life Feels Challenging
Gratitude is a skill, not a personality trait. You do not need to feel grateful to practice it.
1. Try Gratitude Journaling
One of the most effective gratitude practices is writing down a few things you are grateful for each day. This helps shift attention away from constant threat scanning and toward what is still supporting you.
To keep it realistic during hard seasons:
• Aim for consistency, not depth
• Include small, ordinary things
• Allow mixed emotions to exist alongside gratitude
Research shows that gratitude journaling improves emotional outlook and supports coping, particularly during stressful periods (Kumar et al., 2022; Kloos et al., 2022).
Even two or three entries a few times a week can make a difference.
2. Express Gratitude Outwardly
Gratitude strengthens when it becomes relational. Expressing appreciation to others deepens connection and reinforces social support, which is especially protective during difficult times.
You might:
• Send a short message thanking someone for their presence
• Verbally acknowledge a small act of care
• Write a note expressing appreciation, even if you do not send it
Research shows that expressing gratitude enhances social bonds and emotional well-being for both the person giving and receiving it (Kock et al., 2021; Mead et al., 2021).
3. Combine Mindfulness and Gratitude
Mindfulness based gratitude practices help regulate anxiety and reduce rumination by grounding you in the present moment.
A simple approach:
• Pause for one minute
• Notice something supportive in your immediate environment
• Name it internally as something you are grateful for
Mindfulness combined with gratitude has been shown to improve emotional regulation and reduce stress, particularly during periods of uncertainty (Kloos et al., 2022; Mead et al., 2021).
4. Use Reminders to Build the Habit
When life feels heavy, gratitude is easy to forget. External reminders help.
Consider:
• A daily phone reminder
• Sticky notes in visible places
• A short evening reflection routine
These cues encourage brief moments of reflection and help gratitude become a habit rather than an afterthought (Geier & Morris, 2022).
5. Engage With Others Who Practice Gratitude
Gratitude can be sustained more easily in community. Engaging with others who intentionally practice gratitude helps normalize the effort and reinforces consistency.
This could look like:
• Sharing gratitude reflections with a friend
• Participating in an online gratitude group
• Incorporating gratitude into therapy or group work
Research shows that social support enhances resilience and emotional coping during difficult times, particularly when gratitude is practiced collectively (Taylor et al., 2022).
When Gratitude Feels Impossible
There are moments when gratitude practices feel inaccessible. Severe depression, acute trauma, or crisis may require stabilization and professional support before gratitude becomes helpful.
If gratitude feels like pressure or self criticism, that is a sign to pause. You are not failing at gratitude. Your system may simply need safety and care first.
Final Thoughts
Cultivating gratitude during difficult times is not about pretending life is easier than it is. It is about creating emotional room so that pain does not become the only thing you feel.
Over time, gratitude can help reduce distress, support emotional well-being, and create a more flexible perspective during adversity. When practiced gently and realistically, it becomes a quiet source of strength rather than another expectation to meet.
Next Steps
If you are navigating a tough season and want support in building coping strategies that respect your lived experience, therapy can help. You can book a free consultation to explore whether support at Therapy Uninterrupted feels like a good fit for you right now.
We work with individuals and couples to build healthier patterns and behaviours and find space to live a happier life. If you're interested in learning more, you can book a free video consultation with me and see if we are a good fit. I am also a part of our clinic's Affordable Therapy Program, offering low-cost support to people who need it. Getting support and guidance to shift these ingrained patterns can make the process much more bearable. Book your consultation using the button below!
References
Geier, M., & Morris, J. (2022). Gratitude interventions and coping outcomes during times of crisis. Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(4), 512–524.
Kloos, B., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Wandersman, A., & Elias, M. (2022). Gratitude based interventions and psychological coping during crises. American Journal of Community Psychology, 69(1–2), 123–136.
Kock, F., Bergh, A., & Hofmann, W. (2021). Psychological resilience during crises: The role of gratitude and personalized interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 642899. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642899
Kumar, A., Singh, R., & Patel, V. (2022). Gratitude and psychological distress during the COVID 19 pandemic. Journal of Affective Disorders, 309, 86–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.051
Martínez, R., Gómez, L., & Ortega, F. (2022). Gratitude and well being: A systematic review. Psychological Reports, 125(5), 2193–2215.
Mead, J., Fisher, Z., & Brown, C. (2021). Mindfulness and gratitude practices as protective factors in mental health. Mindfulness, 12(9), 2140–2151.
Taylor, R., Clark, S., & Williams, M. (2022). Gratitude, stressors, and mental health among single mothers during the COVID 19 pandemic. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(5), 685–696.
Watkins, P. C., Woodward, K., Stone, T., & Kolts, R. L. (2003). Gratitude and happiness: Development of a measure of gratitude and relationships with subjective well being. Social Behavior and Personality, 31(5), 431–452.
