Did you know that being grateful can change your brain chemistry? What is a gratitude jar? Join us to learn practical things that you can do to embrace gratitude, improve your attitude, and enhance your life. Tammy Battle, state nursing director at Boundless, and Rachelle Martin, executive director of NAMI Franklin County, join our host Scott Light to share tips on being thankful this holiday season and all year long.
Did you know that being grateful can change your brain chemistry? What is a gratitude jar? Join us to learn practical things that you can do to embrace gratitude, improve your attitude, and enhance your life. Tammy Battle, state nursing director at Boundless, and Rachelle Martin, executive director of NAMI Franklin County, join our host Scott Light to share tips on being thankful this holiday season and all year long.
I am really grateful for the opportunity to impact the lives of people on a daily basis.
Rachelle Martin:I am grateful for the opportunity to be here on this earth to make a difference.
Scott Light:What are you thankful and grateful for? That's our theme today. Welcome everyone to Well-being, a podcast brought to you by boundless. Boundless is a nonprofit that provides residential support, autism services, primary health care, day programs, counseling and a whole lot more to children and adults. Our mission is to build a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. And hey, if you like what you're hearing, give us a great review. Wherever you listen to our episodes. I'm your host, Scott light, the voices that you just heard right at the beginning, are right next to me here on the boundless campus. Tammy Battle is the statewide director of nursing here at boundless Tammy, welcome to you.
Tammy Battle:Thank you.
Scott Light:And Rachelle Martin is executive director of Nami, Franklin County, the National Alliance on Mental Health. Rachelle, welcome to you.
Rachelle Martin:Thank you.
Scott Light:It is the month of November, when Americans do take that pause; largely around a table of family and hopefully good food at Thanksgiving, and they do some reflecting and we certainly celebrate that, but we also want to broaden the conversation today, as gratitude is something that we can bring into our lives every day. Tammy, you wrote an article titled practicing gratitude improves your attitude. Tell us why you wrote that?
Tammy Battle:Well, I was asked to write an article for the Women's Health Day. And I thought about, you know, what can I write on? So what has impacted my life the greatest in the past four years was gratitude. And, you know, it just started out as this is something that has worked for me, and maybe it'll help somebody else. Because I don't think we often think about when we say thank you, what feelings we have in our body at that time. Because you know, it's part of something that we practice since we were in kindergarten, you say thank you, you say, please. But what does gratitude really mean?
Scott Light:It goes a whole lot deeper than that.
Tammy Battle:It does. So that's why I wrote the article.
Scott Light:We're going to talk about that a little bit, actually, a whole lot more as we go here, Rachelle, I've had the pleasure of knowing you for years. And anyone who knows you or just hears your calm, soothing voice here in a podcast can tell that you are a grateful person, how does gratitude guide you both personally and professionally?
Rachelle Martin:Well, it is my milestone, for how I live my life. I recently came up with a thought giving is living turns in to gratitude. So when I give of myself, I teach people how to live. I am so grateful for many things, for being able to honor people who are living with a mental illness every day, and their families and the dynamic staff that work with NAMI to create that safe place for people is awesome.
Scott Light:We may have some of our listeners saying okay, well, this is kind of a touchy feely episode that's just about doing nice things. And yes, that's, that's a snippet of what we're talking about here. But you know what, there's, there's some science here because researchers tell us that the science of happiness, gratitude, you know, it centers around around what they call the big 10 emotions, love, joy, pride, hope, and others. And how about this gratitude is high on that list of of the big 10. In fact, social psychologist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson said this gratitude, opens your heart and carries the urge to give back. So let's go to our registered nurse here at the table. What do you think about that quote, Tammy,
Tammy Battle:I think it's a excellent quote. I started practicing gratitude. About four years ago, I was diagnosed with leukemia and had to receive chemo. So just hearing the words you have cancer, you know, it was like, kind of earth shattering. And I was always a glass half full type girl anyway. But something in me was just like fear had gripped my heart. And one of my nieces and I we prayed about it and she brought me this jar and it was a gratitude jar. And it was like, while we're going through this journey Auntie, I want you to start writing down something every day that you're grateful for. And, you know, I didn't recognize at the time, how impactful that was for me, personally. But I started journaling. So I took it a step further, and would even put down the fears and put down my hopes and my dreams. And, you know, what was this like, and what was that like, and before long, you know, my attitude had changed to where I wasn't in a dreadful mode, I was actually recognizing when I went to receive the treatment, I was walking around helping the people that were there receiving, you know, treatment. And I was so grateful, because I've been a nurse for over 30 years now. And I always believe that we wake up on purpose, for a purpose. So when I leave my house every day, I am going to help somebody, I'm going to make a difference in someone's life. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that that's the gift that I have been given. And somebody pays me to do it. It's kind of like, wow, so even going to the Center for treatment, I was still able to walk in my gift and walk in my purpose. And I learned to be grateful for that. And it really improved my attitude. So it's just a practice that I had, which is why I wrote the article.
Scott Light:And you're grateful to be in remission.
Tammy Battle:Oh, grateful. Yes, in remission for well, December will be the fourth year of remission. So it's coming. So yes, I am in remission.
Scott Light:Rachelle, I know you study the science of gratitude and happiness as well, in you're role at Nami.
Rachelle Martin:That's that's that's exactly right, I have had the opportunity of hiring a therapist for the staff at Nami. Because we are in such a tough position. And we need to be able to work along our journey through this therapist. So we hired a therapist to provide services for all of the staff. And then we have group therapy once a month. So this last month, we had been out of doing this because of COVID. So last month, we had our therapist, and she did gratitude. And she brought the jar. And each one of us had to write what we were grateful for, and put it in the jar. And then she broke us up into groups two person, two people in a group. And we talked about gratitude. And so every time that we go into the office, we write to the gratitude jar. How, how awesome is that? To be able to talk about what we are grateful for?
Scott Light:Did it change the dynamic of your co workers?
Rachelle Martin:Yes.
Scott Light:In a sense, did it?
Rachelle Martin:It really did. Because a co worker who didn't know the other person very well connected. And their thought about each other changed dramatically.
Scott Light:What is it like hearing that from the medical side Tammy?
Tammy Battle:I'm thinking that as an employee, in that situation, how honored do you feel that one, someone cares? Because you know, the old saying goes, nobody cares what you know, until they know that you care. And just to have someone, you know, a supervisor, your leadership saying, you are important. We hear you we see you and then you guys act on that. I think that is powerful. And I applaud you.
Rachelle Martin:Thank you.
Scott Light:Researchers also say this about the science of gratitude that it improves your mental health, your physical health and improves human resilience, that people who are thankful have less anxiety and greater goal attainment. Tammy, do you see that?
Tammy Battle:Absolutely. You know, research has also shown that gratitude increases your dopamine and your serotonin. So therefore, that's why people take antidepressants, because it's serotonin reuptake, or it's giving them dopamine because that's the pleasure centers in our brain. So when you are practicing gratitude, and you are intentionally practicing gratitude, you'll pay attention to how it affects your body, the old saying is better to give than to receive is so true. And it's just kind of euphoric. And it's, you know, like they call the runner's high, when you're exercising, gratitude gives you that same boost, in that part of your brain.
Rachelle Martin:So as Tammy was talking, I was thinking about Nami and how we serve our Nami mommies. Every year, I make sure that I take them out to an elaborate lunch, where they get to pick anything off of the menu, have them a good drink, if they want it. And these women are so grateful for the fact that someone is taking the time to celebrate them as they go through their mental health journey with their loved one
Scott Light:To both of you don't we all doesn't it seem like we all just as a society have a deeper level of gratitude. After COVID-19
Rachelle Martin:Absolutely.
Tammy Battle:Absolutely. And I'm telling you, being able to practice gratitude, going through COVID-19 was life changing for me with the amount of people that were lost, and then working on the front line. And even if they weren't connected to you, you were still a part of them, and their family. And, you know, just finding ways to be grateful. During that hard time. I know, it kept my sanity, I can say that. So that's how I know gratitude works. And I know that it does improve your attitude, because you're going where you know, someone's gonna die today, early on. And working in the hospital, it was really difficult. You know, dealing with families and having to hold the phone while someone talks to their loved one, maybe for the last time. And, you know, the gratitude that I would practice, I would also share with the family, you know, be grateful that you got that opportunity. They Hear You. You got, you know, left nothing on the table. But it was difficult. But gratitude did keep me going. And I showed up every day,
Scott Light:You were both still in that service role and Nami was to I mean, you had to take care of yourself, Rachelle, you had to take care as the executive director, you had to take care of your staff. And then Nami was thrust in a role to take care of more clients to take care of more people during during the throes of COVID.
Rachelle Martin:That's right. So my neighbor that lives across the street from me, he died, his ex wife died, their son died earlier, as well. So this woman that lived across the street from me, lost her family. And what I was able to do was connect her with that therapist to help her to walk through. So gratitude was for me with the therapist to be able to help her step through.
Scott Light:Let's give our listeners some takeaways on how to practice gratitude not just in November or December of the holiday time, but the rest of the year to Tammy, let's come back to that article.
Tammy Battle:Okay
Scott Light:You mention keeping a journal. A lot of people do that just just to get it out there, right, whether express it whether it's verbally or writing it down. Tell us what you do and why journaling has been such such a benefit for you.
Tammy Battle:For me, if I would go to the Bible, it says write the vision down, though it tarry, wait on it. I've recognized that when I write it down, I forget what it was that I was grateful for maybe last week, or I forget last year or you know what were my goals, maybe depending on the place I was in, you know it could be anything but when you go back and read it, there is something about looking at Wow, this came to pass this came to pass, I'm doing this. And it's it's just a way of memorializing things that you have gone through and overcame. Because sometimes, you know, we're so far down the road, we don't look back and recognize where did how did we get here, but you have overcome so many more things. And when you actually have a journal of it, and it's documented, it kind of gives you a little boost that empowers you to know that whatever you're going through now, I got through that. I'm gonna get through this, too.
Scott Light:I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. I mean, really, I have the attention span of a hummingbird these days. I mean, really, I think we all do, right. I mean, just at the pace of life these days, you know, so yeah, just writing it down, putting it down to your point to where it is there, and we can see it. Rachelle, what about a takeaway that you may have for our listeners?
Rachelle Martin:Well, a takeaway that Tammy brought up, and what our therapists brought to us, is the grateful jar, just get a jar, and some paper and write down what you are grateful for. The other thing that that I did some time ago, for my mom is I wrote her why I was grateful to have her as my mom. And I put them in a little box, and I still have that special box, for my mama, to show her how much I love her and how grateful I am for her.
Tammy Battle:I was going to say the written notes, you know, for that generation means so much more than going to the store and buying a card.
Rachelle Martin:Right.
Tammy Battle:And when you're talking of gratitude, just taking that few minutes to write a thank you note on a card and give to someone you know, one you feel good, because you're putting it out. But secondly, they receive it. And you know, it means more than just like I said, buying a card that someone else said,
Rachelle Martin:I would like to add a little bit more to that. Every week, I take time to write to the staff. I text them a message of how grateful I am for them. I do it every week. I tell them something that I'm grateful for.
Scott Light:Tammy, you also write this, that sharing your gratitude strengthens relationships.
Tammy Battle:Rachelle just said that about her mom, yeah, how powerful, you know, and that relationship will strengthen. You know, I remember moving into our neighborhood, and my next door neighbor came over with pizza and cookies. And, you know, she says, I know you guys are moving, I want to welcome you to the neighborhood. And you know, our relationship is so close still to this day, because she took that time to come over and say welcome. And it will trickle down to our children and our grandchildren and people around us. Gratitude is actually contagious.
Scott Light:You teed up the very next thing that I want to talk about because there is this magnet effect, right? I pulled another quote that I love to get your reaction to and its this. A water lily retracts when sunlight fades. And so do our minds when positivity fades. And Tammy, I think that gets to you have to flip it. But I think that gets to exactly what you're talking about. Because the practice of gratitude, it lends to positivity,
Rachelle Martin:I think demonstrating, giving and gratitude will teach others how to think about being grateful and giving to one another. I didn't think about this until you invited me that I always had viewed life with the glass half full, then half empty. I always think of a way that I am going to make it and I'm going to help someone else make it and that is so true about showing and demonstrating gratitude all the time. And the naysayers will actually go away, or they'll find a way to come to you.
Scott Light:It can change behaviors.
Rachelle Martin:Yes.
Scott Light:It can. I've seen it.
Tammy Battle:I have to, especially in a leadership role, when you have the employee that may be the Negative Nelly in the group. And you know, you start pulling them in or you let them know that there's something that they did very well.
Rachelle Martin:Yes.
Tammy Battle:You'll see that attitude change with them. I have seen it so many times. I used to be teased, one of my assistants used to tell me, how do you let people go and they still hug you. Because you are still building them up. Even though this did not work. We have worked along the way to correct the behaviors and it did not change. However, you are still a human being and you are a person. So it's not my role to tear you down. It's my role to build you up. And so many of them have come back and thanked me or said I finally got it right. I now have been working at a job for five years. And you know, you just want to leave people in a better place than when you found them. That's my management style as well.
Scott Light:Speaking of being thankful, thank you both for joining this podcast episode. This has just been terrific. And again it's great to talk about this as we are heading into the holiday season but you both have given me and given our listeners things to think about every single day to take a moment to be grateful to be thankful. We're always thankful for our listeners we thank you for joining each and every episode here at boundless and we always invite you to email us your comments or questions at podcast at Iamboundless.org. Again, don't forget to give us a review. That's yet another way that we want to hear from you. This is the wellbeing podcast brought to you by Boundless.