This wellness trend turns thank-you notes into brain training

By Lauren Wilkin

Gratitude correspondence is the new wellness trend making the rounds that focuses on positive thoughts, slowing down, and being grateful for those around you.

It is the conscious act of sending a letter or a note to someone in your life as a meaningful thank you. Usually, letters will focus on how someone has impacted your life in a positive way.

Similar to gratitude journaling, this wellness trend is all about positivity.

"When you practice gratitude regularly, you are literally retraining your brain," explains Michelle Drapkin, a board-certified psychologist.

"Our minds are wired to scan for threats, problems, things that are wrong," the Founder and Director of The CBT Center in New Jersey explains.

"Gratitude practice interrupts that pattern and teaches your brain to scan for what's good instead."

But consistency is key. Drapkin explains that when you do it consistently, "that shift becomes more automatic."

When writing a letter of thanks, you should always be specific. "Vague gratitude is easy to dismiss," she says.

Drapkin explains that capturing a single moment and "telling the story of it like you're painting a picture" is how to effectively retrain your brain to focus on the positives.

"That level of detail is what activates the brain."

And it's not just the sender who feels the benefits.

"We often think about the people who matter to us and never say it out loud," Drapkin says.

"Writing to someone gives those thoughts somewhere to go. It builds connection, communicates that someone is seen and appreciated, and engages that same brain-retraining in a social context."

"When done with intention, it works," the psychologist says.

"You retrain your brain, you strengthen a relationship, and someone in your life feels seen. Win, win, win."