November is a time to reflect on what we are grateful for, especially around the Thanksgiving holiday.
But being grateful, daily, can have a positive impact on our health and life. I know it can be difficult sometimes to find something to be grateful for when you are in the center of a crisis or if you are experiencing ill health.
My life has not been perfect, and I have had many crises and bumps in the road, so I can understand those trying times. But I have found from personal experience that when I practice an attitude of gratitude in every situation, I bring more things into my life to be grateful for.
In Marci Shimoff’s book, Happy for No Reason, she explains that everything in our Universe is made up of energy. Everything we say, do or think either expands our energy or contracts it. When our energy expands, we experience great happiness; when our energy contracts, we experience less happiness.
Gratitude expands our energy and happiness; negative thoughts contract our energy, and we experience unhappiness. When our energy expands, that allows us to open up to more positive things and more happiness. When our thoughts are negative, such as jealousy, sadness, fear or anger, they contract us and literally constrict the flow of our energy life.
So how does an attitude of gratitude affect our health? Below are just a few examples.
⦁ Gratitude Increases Mental Health- A study found that people struggling with depression and anxiety were able to increase their positive feelings by writing gratitude letters. It took consistent practice over time to see the results.
⦁ Gratitude Reduces Stress- What we think about is what we give our attention and time to. When we spend a lot of time thinking about negative things in our life, we also increase our stress level and depression. Therefore, if you start to think about things to be grateful for, your attention shifts to positive thoughts, thus reducing stress and depression.
⦁ Gratitude Helps Your Body Feel Better- When you are experiencing stress, your body triggers stress hormones that may increase inflammation in your body and make you feel ill, or lead to disease if you are stressed out over a long period of time. Practicing an attitude of gratitude allows you to decrease inflammation and boost your relaxation hormones, which benefits your body and mind.
⦁ Gratitude Helps Your Life Go More Smoothly- When you create an attitude of gratitude, it will start to impact all areas of your life. You will start to treat others with more consideration, kindness, and appreciation. You might sleep better and perform better at work. It may strengthen relationships by finding positive attributes from others instead of negative thoughts about others.
There are many ways to increase your attitude of gratitude. Every morning, I say “thank you” for a hot shower, heat, and electricity to start my day. While driving into work, I am grateful when we have dry roads and beautiful sunrise and getting to work safely.
When I close my eyes to go to sleep, I am grateful for my family, the day, my health (even if I didn’t feel the best), and other things I want to list. Other ways to practice gratitude is to write in a gratitude journal daily, either in the morning or at night. Or you can make gratitude art and hang it where you can see it.
You can also make a daily list of five things to be grateful for, trying not to repeat from the day before. When you practice an attitude of gratitude, it will become a habit, and you will notice how much better your outlook on life is and how much better you feel.
Wishing You Health & Happiness,
Sandy Sonier, Holistic Wellness Master