Gratitude and Your Health

“For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

When it comes to health, an “attitude of gratitude” goes a long way!  Studies have shown that gratitude is good for us in several ways.   

1.     It helps our physical health.  People who practice gratitude daily have fewer aches and pains and are generally healthier.  They are also more likely to exercise, eat right and do other things that support health and well-being. 

2.     It helps our mental health.  Gratitude has been shown to help with depression and suicidal thoughts.  Gratitude is a great antidote for anger, resentment, sadness and other painful emotions. 

3.     Gratitude improves relationships with others.  Grateful people have a greater tendency to treat other people with kindness, empathy and respect.  People who are grateful have greater social circles which builds a stronger self-image and self-esteem. 

4.     A thankful heart is a restful heart.  It’s been shown that people sleep better when they take time to write down each night 3 or 4 things for which they are grateful.   

For gratitude to be effective, it must be practiced every day.  Yes, practiced.  That means making the effort throughout the day to find things to be grateful for and to express that gratitude in words.   

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

-William Arthur Ward 

Develop the habit of looking for the good in your life and in your day.  Look for the good in others.  Catch someone doing something right and acknowledge it.  If the clerk at the store does a good job, tell him or her thank you.  It’s one thing to say it silently but when you express it out loud you lift up others as well as yourself.  In like manner, the next time you get less-than-stellar service by a clerk and you are tempted to complain or criticize, ask yourself, “How important is it?” Express thanks, not criticism.    

Another great gratitude practice is to keep a gratitude journal.  Get a spiral notebook and every night before going to bed, list 3-5 things you are grateful for.  You can list more than that but make sure to list at least 3.  Some will repeat from one day to another but really look close at your day and find the small things that happened, the little courtesy, the surprise gift that came your way and give thanks for it.  So often we overlook the small things that make our lives better and easier.  For example, I am thankful to all the men and women who put in  

effort everyday to make sure the electricity is there when I flip the light switch.  Another practice is give thanks for each bill you pay whether you pay online, with check or in person.     

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” - Margaret Cousins

 Keep a gratitude journal for 30 days and I will almost guarantee that your life will improve and you will be healthier and happier.  You have nothing to lose and much to gain!  Get started today and let me know how you do.  I would love to hear from you.