Offering Gratitude To Get Some Extra ZZZs

Expressing Gratitude on a Tree (This and below images courtesy of eekim via Flickr)

Around Thanksgiving I read a New York Times Science article about how expressing gratitude more often makes you healthier.  “Compared with a control group, the people keeping the gratitude journal were more optimistic and felt happier. They reported fewer physical problems and spent more time working out.” Another study found that people who think about things they’re grateful for fall asleep more quickly.

Sadly, in our overwork, overconsume culture—where we’ve been conditioned to respond to the beeps, vibrations, and tweets of email, texts and social media like Pavlovian dogs—we distractedly jump from one experience to the next never taking time to say thanks.

Well, at least once a year it’s nice to slow down and publicly acknowledge all those you’re grateful to, so, I’d like to do that now. (And if it helps me sleep a little sounder tonight, I won’t complain.)

So first and foremost, thanks to Benny, Pete, Guido, Coleman, Gero and everyone else at Catan GmbH, Mayfair Games and Kosmos, who responded so positively to the idea of collaborating on an eco-educational scenario for the Settlers of Catan. This was no minor endeavor, and a lot of faith was put into Worldwatch and Transforming Cultures, especially considering that climate change in some parts of the world is still seen as controversial (even if climate denial is hard to comprehend in other parts). While our collaboration is just starting—as far as spreading the scenario far and wide—working with the teams at Catan, Mayfair and Kosmos has been a great pleasure, one for which I am deeply grateful. Of course, this appreciation extends to my friend and co-designer Ty Hansen, who played an essential role in refining the scenario’s mechanics. Thank Ty! Thanks also to all those who helped us beta-test Catan: Oil Springs over the course of 2011.

Gratitude Tree (Covered with Thanks)

Thanks also to everyone at Worldwatch for continuing to support the Transforming Cultures project. It hasn’t proven to be the most conventional arm of Worldwatch—not many board game scenarios are among the lists of hundreds of reports that have come out over the year (ok, none), and I’ve been very grateful for the freedom to take the project in new directions. (Though we’ll see what happens when PETA starts protesting the Project’s suggestions to curb global pet populations!) Thanks especially to Bob Engelman on this front—your encouragement over the years has been deeply appreciated. Hopefully Transforming Cultures will continue to stir things up in 2012!

Thanks also to Wendy, Kathy and everyone at the Center for a New American Dream, who invited me to help with the relaunch of the organization in early 2011. The Center is growing into an ever stronger voice for an American and global dream less centered on consumerism and more centered on community and it’s been a pleasure to participate in a small way in this evolution.

Much gratitude to the many who invited me to share the findings of the Transforming Cultures project with their communities—big and small. This not only is a central way we share the report, but is the funding backbone of the entire project, so these invitations kept the project alive and well (along with lots of volunteer time).

The most important thing to be thankful for, which we too often overlook!

Which brings me to the next thank you. Thanks go to Micaela, Meredith, and Annika, all of whom helped with the project over 2011. Your research assistance was valued, even if there was sometimes a long delay between its completion and use! And thanks also to Helene and John—friends and former colleagues that have contributed over the year to the blog and broader efforts.

And finally, thanks to you all for reading and sharing ideas with me over the year—through the blog, Facebook, and by email! Your ideas are always appreciated.

Wishing you all a happy and more sustainable 2012! (And just in case it isn’t—don’t forget to make a Go Bag!)