Power of Gratitude

Have you ever thought about what gratitude is and how it can impact our lives? Get ready and buckle up, because here we go!

Gratitude is an activity where you can express your appreciation for the things that make you happy. When showing gratitude you slowly begin to rewire your brain (with the help of neuroplasticity), helping to set you onto a more positive track. 

Seeing as our class topic is ‘gratitude’ Whaea Kata gave us the task of constructing a gratitude box/jar and to give it a name. 

Not too much thought went into the making of my gratitude box. I found an already decorated box so now I’m looking for my Kimetsu no Yaiba stickers to slap onto it.

I was now stuck pondering about the name of my box. I was scrolling through Pinterest when I saw a photo of Raymond from Animal Crossing. That’s when it hit me; Bubblegum K.K.. I got the inspiration from the game’s soundtrack, one of the songs being “Bubblegum K.K.”. The song is soothing and the title is cute so I thought “Why not?”

I started off with doing my gratitude reflections every night before bed but after around a week I stopped. Now I do them every time I’m stressed or need the boost. When I do my reflections I grab my pad paper, I find a comfortable position to lie in, and surround myself with music. 

Three things I am grateful for today are Eden, who has been keeping me company and now one of my closest friends in the class. Mrs Feps for giving me the rest of her nachos (and being an awesome teacher; helping me with my work and trying to converse with me) and my project group because we are able to work on projects that will help improve our community.

Te Whare Tapa Wha

In health class we are working on identifying the four dimensions of Te Whare Tapa Whā and Hauora. Hauora looks at your health. Te Whare Tapa Whā is used to describe each aspect of your overall well-being. What are the four dimensions you may be wondering?

Firstly, Taha Hinengaro which means Mental/Emotional.

Anything in your life can shape the way your Mental/Emotional state is in. One thing that can be impacted is your Thoughts/Feelings. For me, when I go to sleep late, the next day I wake up and struggle to focus. That means my Mental/Emotional state has been negatively affected.

Taha Wairua which means Spiritual.

The things you believe in or value can shape the way your Spiritual state is in. For me, I believe that to stay ahead of work is to do it the day you are sent it. This leads to me feeling a sense of achievement because I now have a load of free time.

Taha Whānau which means Social.

The way you interact with others and how they interact with you can affect your social state. When I make an effort to talk and to listen to others that helps out my Social well-being.

Lastly, Taha Tinana which means Physical.

When you move around that counts as your physical well-being. Depending on what actions you do you can shape the way your physical state is in. For this dimension I usually walk around each day, which definitely improves my physical well-being.

Many people believe that health only applies to our physical appearance and so they brush everything else off. That could not be more wrong. Without all four of these dimensions your overall well-being will definitely struggle. What I mean by “struggle” is if more than one of these walls (dimensions) are lacking support then they may start to crumble. If one wall is crumbling you should consider talking with someone you trust. This will mean your overall well-being can have time to heal, even if it’s slowly.

This week and last week we were given the task of building a whare and naming each wall after the four dimensions. The pictures below are of my house (and some of my classmates!). I've got a lot to learn. Next time we do something like this hopefully I’ll be more organised.