Resiliency: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Change or misfortune can be physical, mental, or emotional. Our ability to recover and thrive from change or misfortune reflects on how resilient we are.

The past several years- pandemic, economic crisis, wars, and more- has truly tested our resilience. But if we truly look deep into ourselves, we can find we are tougher than we realize. At the very center of resilience is the unlikely action and attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude helps us take stressful and unexpected events and rewires our brain to find the positive. Even in the most devastating of life’s events, there is always something to be grateful for.

I recently heard a talk on gratitude and resiliency given by Utah State University extension during the height of the pandemic.

Here are a few points worth mentioning:

• Practicing gratitude throughout the year improves overall health and well-being.
• Builds connectivity in relationships. The practice of gratitude of people around them improves relationships around them as those receiving gratitude experience appreciation and love.
• Increases positive emotions and decreases negative emotion.
• Improves self-esteem. People who practice gratefulness tend to take better care of themselves, which results in healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.

4 Practices towards resiliency through gratitude

The Greater Good Science Center, out of UC Berkley, recommend 4 practices:

1. Count your blessings- Find 3 good things that are happening in your life or 3 good things you are grateful for. These can be large or small things- a great job or a good cup of tea are two very different examples. Doing this through journaling or compiling a list of what you are grateful for daily improves mood and self-worth.
2. Mental subtraction- “You don’t know what you have until its gone”. This mental exercise, where you ask yourself if you didn’t have a certain something (home, job, pet) or someone in your life, what would your life be like? Imagine life without that person or thing. This is a very eye-opening exercise.
3. Savor- being mindfully engaged and aware of your feelings during positive events that can increase your feelings of happiness in the short and long run. Benefits include stronger relationships, improved mental and physical health, and finding more creative solutions to problems. Recognize how much pleasure you get from simple things in life. Be present in the moment and be thankful for a good conversation, petting your dog, enjoying a cup of cocoa, smelling the crisp air of autumn are all examples of savoring the moment. Think about what really makes you happy and dwell on that.
4. Saying thank you- expressing gratitude- can be especially important over the holiday season. Family dynamics may have changed, illness, loss of job or loved ones, and financial stresses can really take a toll on even the most resilient person. Focus on the abundance right in front of you. Acknowledge how you feel, don’t stuff your feelings. Whatever they are, they are valid. However, once you have acknowledged and reviewed your feelings, especially those that bring anxiety and stress, evaluate how you can accept, change, or acknowledge these feelings. Talking or writing down your feelings can bring solutions and/or acceptance and open opportunities you may not have thought of.

At Jase Medical, we asked our staff what they were grateful for this year. Here are a few responses:

• Family and Friends, Health, Opportunities – Marlon T.
• My health, family and friends – Anne C.
• I am so thankful for my family and good health! – Marquelle C.
• I’m grateful for all the men and women around the world who have given everything for freedom. – Jonny B.

This expression of gratitude says it all:

• How cool is it that we get to experience feeling! Think about that for a moment. That you can hold a hand, wipe a tear, squeeze a cut, snuggle up in a soft sweatshirt, feel the sand between your toes or that you can touch your own skin and feel it! Being alive and here on earth is such an amazing gift. We are even able to feel emotions, ALL of them! We learn to grow from them or soar with the joy they can bring. It is so beautiful in every way. I am so grateful to be here on this earth at this time with my perfectly imperfect children that show me everyday how to be a better and stronger human. – Haley R.
• I’m grateful for faith, family, and friends” – Shawn R.
• I’m grateful to work for a company who’s #1 mission is to impact the world in a positive way by saving lives through medical preparation. – John T.
• I’m grateful for good health, my family & my kitty cats! – Jane H.

And Erik sums up what it is like working with and for Jase:

Team: I’m thankful for the incredible team of employees I have the privilege of working with. Your dedication, hard work, and commitment to our shared goals inspire me daily.

Talent: The abundance of talent within our organization is awesome! I appreciate the opportunity to work with such skilled and creative individuals, and it continually motivates me.

Collaboration: Working together with all of you has been an amazing experience. The collaborative and supportive work environment we’ve created is something I’m thankful for every day.

– Erik

From the staff at Jase Medical,

Have a safe- and filled with gratitude- Thanksgiving and holiday season!