Gratitude
Getting Healthier and Happier with GRATITUDE
Did you know that something as simple as making time to express and receive gratitude for everyday experiences can be key to your greater health, happiness and wellbeing?
Yes, it’s a fact! Being thankful is not only good manners, but it is good for you too. The effects of gratitude on our wellbeing is a fast emerging area of scientific study, and considered by many experts in the field to be the “forgotten factor” in happiness research. Studies are now showing that being grateful can increase your happiness level by 25%, increase the amount of time you spend exercising, lower levels of stress and depression, help you sleep better, and even help you kids do better in school.
When I first began to explore the idea of gratitude I was thinking in the simplest of terms and what my mother taught me—my manners: to say please and thank you almost automatically, to always write a thank you note—but those early lessons did not always include taking the time to mindfully acknowledge the value of what “giving thanks” truly meant. So began a deeper look into gratitude and the idea behind this month’s challenge.
I began by taking a moment to pause and be present and focused on the recipient of my thanks. But as I read more, I learned that there are actually scientific studies that report that “practicing gratitude” on a daily basis can be transformational.
Every event good or bad offers an opportunity to learn and grow, and when we choose to live thinking in terms of gratitude it can help us overcome other emotions such as fear, grief, envy or greed. Psychologists doing their Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness at the University of Miami have found that practicing gratitude can actually improve our emotional and physical well-being. Their studies found that people who keep weekly gratitude journals had fewer physical symptoms, exercised more, had a better outlook on life and were more likely to reach their goals. People who practiced daily gratitude “had more high-energy positive moods,” felt more connected to others, and felt more positive about life.
Practicing gratitude can also strengthen relationships. The scientists noted that simply saying “thank you” sends a message not only to one’s partner but to oneself as well. It changes our self-perceptions and reinforces one’s desire for a mutually supportive relationship and increases dependency, which triggers trust and in turn deepens a relationship. In this way, saying “thank you” initiates a spiral of kindness and appreciation in relationships.
More this Month:
A sampling of the November Guest Programs and Events Schedule for Glen Ivy Hot Springs, complimentary with spa admission:
• Master Chef Series with Chef Bill Wavrin, 4 new classes this month!
• Aromatherapy Basics with Paula Hamilton
• Planting a Winter Garden with Patrick Mitchell
• Book Club reads Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
Tips and Advice:
• Creating a Gratitude Journal
• Take a Gratitude Quiz
