Children who are even grateful for their mother's nagging... How a 3-month 'Gratitude Experiment' changed their thinking

There is a saying that the secret to a happy life lies in one's mind. While not many people believe this, experts say it is true. The KBS 'Documentary On - Gratitude Changes the Brain' broadcast on February 12, 2021, stated that there are many research results showing that positive thinking exerts a powerful force in activating happiness hormones, and it cited the repetitive habit of gratitude as the core of positive thinking. The broadcast reported that Korean experts have also proven through related research that habituating gratitude eventually causes the brain to change in a positive direction.

Companies that increased sales, military units that use gratitude as training

According to the broadcast, these scientific studies are manifesting as facts through those who practice gratitude. Companies growing by creating a happy corporate culture through the practice of gratitude were introduced, and stories emerged of achieving sales increases between 10% and 20%. Office workers, who foster camaraderie by being grateful for the small love and interest they receive from one another, said they are grateful because they can work faithfully and start their days vigorously. These companies say that gratitude is the source of their competitiveness.

There are also military units that practice gratitude as one of the core training methods for performance improvement. The broadcast reported that people here discover unexpected happiness by expressing gratitude, and one participant said they wouldn't know unless they actually tried using it. It continued with stories that gratitude, which opens one's eyes to the preciousness of things previously taken for granted, provides unexpected ideas. The broadcast expressed that a revolution of the happy brain is beginning along with gratitude.

The power of sharing gratitude realized by former 4minute member Son Ji-hyun

The broadcast also captured the daily life of Son Ji-hyun, who was a member of the girl group 4minute. 4minute, formed in 2009, once received great love from the public but disbanded after 7 years, and the broadcast reported that the habit of gratitude was a great strength for Ms. Son in successfully transforming into an actress after that. Ms. Son, who had been the team leader since her girl group days, encouraged a junior she had been close with since her trainee days by providing homemade snacks, and ahead of the holidays, she visited the acting instructor who led her toward the path of an actress to hand over homemade sikhye.

Ms. Son has opened her eyes to the power of gratitude over the past few years. She said that while she was used to receiving gratitude, after experiencing difficult times, she realized she could stand because of the people around her, and she said she feels more empowered when she practices gratitude. She also learned that the power of gratitude grows when it is shared. Ms. Son explained that while a single word of "thank you" ends in just one second and the lingering feeling does not last long, it seems to last longer when expressed through actions, such as making something or writing a letter.

Ms. Son also visited a local COVID-19 quarantine center holding a card filled with her heart along with carefully made snacks. She expressed her gratitude, saying that thanks to the medical staff, she can safely do the things she wants to do, and she said she took courage, as local residents likely feel the same way as her. The broadcast reported that gratitude makes the giver even happier. Ms. Son said that practicing gratitude makes her feel very excited and gives her strength as if she has become a better person herself, and she said that while she starts it first, the other person's gratitude makes her grateful again, making the energy feel even larger.

Changes in gratitude shared by a finance industry worker and writer Park Gi-cheol

There are also people overcoming the depression caused by the COVID-19 situation through gratitude. As non-face-to-face situations continued, the financial services industry also faced a crisis, and as everyone felt lost due to the inability to find a breakthrough, they started a gratitude movement last autumn by the time of the broadcast. People who had been in a slump began to regain their laughter. Stories were introduced about how they began to laugh without realizing it while writing down things they had never considered grateful as homework, and the change of starting to attach 'Thank you' at the end of emails.

One participant said that although their heart ached due to disappointing aspects in human relationships, as they searched for things to be grateful for, they began to think of how people had treated them well rather than the disappointments, and their health also improved. It was also mentioned that realizing that things they previously took for granted were by no means taken for granted, and being able to view even equally bad situations positively, were major changes.

The person who led this change is bestselling author Park Gi-cheol. He has long been conducting a "mind usage method" movement centered on gratitude and consideration. Mr. Park explained that gratitude is not a reaction to someone's stimulus but something that can simply come from oneself, and he explained that he hears many experiences of people reconciling with those they had conflicted with or forgiving those they thought they could never forgive by simply changing their thoughts and finding gratitude, thereby becoming free and happy.

3 months of children who found gratitude even in nagging

The broadcast examined whether children could also be made happy through gratitude. At an elementary school in Gimhae, since last year by the time of the broadcast, lower-grade children were made to write gratitude journals. The children's gratitude, which initially remained at superficial levels, such as being grateful that their father showed them a tram tracker, gradually expanded to gratitude for daily life.

The production team also conducted a full-scale gratitude experiment targeting upper-grade children. It was conducted for 3 months from October last year to January this year by the time of the broadcast, targeting 16 volunteer children, and the changes in the children were meticulously recorded by the teachers in charge. One child said they were grateful that their mother prepared a meal even though she might be too busy to do so. To the question of finding gratitude in things that are not grateful, the child replied that they were grateful that their mother's scolding was all for their own good. This child explained that their thinking had changed slightly compared to October when the experiment started, saying they were grateful that their bad habits, which they cannot see themselves, are visible to their mother, and that her telling them is for their own good.

Through gratitude, the children began to reflect on themselves. The teacher explained that finding gratitude in things that are not grateful is important, and that they realized children achieve growth when they overcome the things they currently do not want to do and the difficulties they possess. It was noted that while they used to avoid or ignore difficulties in the past, they now show efforts to actively solve them.

The children who returned home had homework to ask their parents every day what they were grateful for during the day. One mother replied that she was grateful for the time to wrap up 2020 and make plans for 2021, and one father said he was grateful that work was progressing better than expected. A child said they were grateful that the weather was not that cold even though they wore a padded jacket because they thought it would be cold. Parents are also feeling the change, saying that as the child talks about their grateful heart, their way of thinking seems to have changed in a positive direction.