The Meredith Patterson Podcast17 Nov 2025

#MentalHealthMonday - Your Brain on Gratitude

#MentalHealthMonday - Your Brain on Gratitude
Hello and welcome to another Mental Health Monday. Today we're diving into one of the simplest, most transformative practices: gratitude. Now, gratitude isn't just saying thank you. It's a rewiring tool for your brain. And when you understand the science of gratitude, you'll see why it's one of the most powerful daily practices you can do.

Patreon Membership https://www.patreon.com/c/Meredith_Patterson

When I was starring in 42nd Street, I thought I had everything I wanted — but there were nights I still felt empty. I wasn't the original, I didn't have a Tony Nomination, I wasn't getting ahead. It was exhausting. But soon after 9/11, I began the practice of gratitude and writing down 3 things every day I was grateful for — and getting out of my own ambitious head. A call from my sister, a quiet moment with tea, laughter and dancing to music in the dressing room. I started not looking at what I didn't have (cause you will ALWAYS find something) And slowly, I looked at what I HAD and my perspective shifted. Gratitude didn't erase stress, but it gave me a new lens. Instead of focusing on what I lacked, I started noticing what was already beautiful. Science:

Gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin, the "feel-good" chemicals.
It strengthens the prefrontal cortex, improving focus, decision-making, and positivity bias.
Gratitude interrupts the brain's negativity bias — the tendency to fixate on what's wrong.
Studies show consistent gratitude practice improves sleep, mood, and even immune function.

Action Tools:

Gratitude Journal: Write three things daily — but feel them, don't just list them.
Gratitude Reframe: In challenges, ask: "What's one thing I can appreciate right now?"
Gratitude Letter: Write to someone you've never thanked. This creates lasting positive effects for both of you.
Gratitude Anchor: Pick a daily cue (like brushing your teeth) and pair it with thinking of one thing you're grateful for.

Gratitude isn't just a nice idea. It's neuroscience. Every time you practice it, you are strengthening your brain's pathways for joy, resilience, and connection. So tonight, before bed, write down three things you're grateful for. And feel the shift. Because gratitude doesn't just change your day. It changes your brain. And when your brain changes, your whole life changes.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(113)

Spend Your Fcks Wisely: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck, Every Chapter

⚠️ Content note: This episode contains explicit language. Headphones on if the kids are in the car. Get the book and read along A few weeks ago, I broke down Chapter 1 of Mark Manson's The Subtle Ar...

9 Okt 50min

Mental Health Monday — The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Explicit)

Fair warning: I swear a lot in this one. You're welcome. This week we're kicking off a two-part Mental Health Monday book club on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, one of the books I...

5 Okt 17min

Connecting Through the Written Word: How Vic Reynolds is Revolutionizing Communication

In this intimate conversation, Meredith Patterson sits down with Vic Reynolds, co-founder of ConnectingLives®, to explore the profound power of meaningful connection in our increasingly digital world....

2 Okt 53min

#MentalHealthMonday - The Lonliness Epidemic

The Loneliness Epidemic We're more connected than ever—yet lonelier than we've ever been. In this Mental Health Monday episode, Meredith Patterson explores the paradox of modern isolation: how social ...

28 Sep 12min

Tricia Paoluccio on Keeping Dolly Parton's Light Alive

One month after Dolly Parton's passing, we sit down with Meredith's friend of 26 years, actress, writer, visual artist, and Here You Come Again star Tricia Paoluccio. Meredith and Tricia talk about wh...

25 Sep 50min

#MentalHealthMonday - Choose Kindness

In this episode of The Meredith Patterson Podcast, we're diving deep into one of the most transformative yet underestimated pillars of mental wellness: kindness. Meredith explores how the simple act o...

21 Sep 9min

Dr. Andrea Maxim: Emotional Eating, Protective Weight and Divine Confidence

Why do so many of us make it through the day eating well, only to hit dinner and feel completely undone? Dr. Andrea Maxim knows it's rarely about willpower—it's about what our bodies are asking for af...

18 Sep 1h 8min

#MentalHealthMonday - The Weight We Carry: When the Scale Becomes More Than a Number

The Weight We Carry: When the Scale Becomes More Than a Number What if the weight we carry isn't only on our bodies? In this deeply personal Mental Health Monday, Meredith opens up about her complicat...

14 Sep 27min