With the constant bombardment of negativity and stress in today’s world, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of feeling hopeless and helpless. You might find yourself constantly in a state of self-pity. Here’s the key to having mind over matter. Mentally strong people take that self-pity and exchange it for gratitude.

Do you think this is too difficult to accomplish? Or maybe you don’t see the benefit in taking time each day to shift your attitude to one of gratitude? Check out some of the cool scientifically proven health benefits:

  • Great for Brain Health – The region of our brain (hypothalamus) that regulates a number of bodily functions including our appetites, sleep, temperature, metabolism, and growth is activated when we feel gratitude or display acts of kindness. These acts of kindness and feeling of gratitude stimulate the release of dopamine, a natural high. Because this feeling is so wonderful, we are motivated to feel it again and become more inclined to give thanks and do good for others. All you need to do is start the process.
  • Improves Mental Health – Gratitude helps to reduce the level of toxic emotions we carry around with us, whether they are our emotions or emotions we pick up from people we’re surrounded by. Have you ever been in someone’s presence who wasn’t in the best of moods only to leave that interaction feeling irritated or edgy or any other negative feeling? Sure, we all seem to have had this experience. This is what I mean when I’m talking about “taking on someone else’s emotions.” Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted numerous studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
  • Improves Physical Health – According to a 2012 study, people who are grateful experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people. They are also more likely to take care of their health and exercise more often. They stay on top of their health with routine check-ups, which likely contributes to increased longevity. A 2003 study called Counting Blessings vs. Burdens, ill patients were required to keep a gratitude journal. Sixteen percent of the patients reported a decrease in symptoms and 10% of patients reported decreased pain levels. These patients were also more willing to exercise and were far more motivated in their recovery. Perhaps the influx of dopamine is partly responsible why this gratitude benefit occurs?
  • Better Sleep – There are countless studies specific on gratitude and its influence on sleep. All studies have come to the same conclusion: Gratitude improves the quality of our sleep, decreases the time it takes to fall asleep and lengthens the duration of our sleep. That’s AWESOME don’t you think? Gratitude stimulates the hypothalamus, which is an area in the brain that influences sleep. Activating the hypothalamus helps us be able to fall into a deep, natural and healthy sleep. When we’re sleeping better, everything else about our help improves. Enough sleep can remedy anxiety, depression, pain, stress, and even boost our immune system.
  • Decreased Stress, Anxiety and Depression – With better sleep comes a sense of relaxation. This helps us better take on the real-life details of work, financial strain, and other emotional challenges. Research has shown gratitude is also physically beneficial for our heart and nervous system as well. In a 2007 study, patients with high blood pressure were asked to write in a gratitude journal once a week. Results showed a dramatic decrease in their systolic blood pressure (top number in your blood pressure). They also concluded in this study writing in a gratitude journal regularly can decrease blood pressure by 10%. The main hormone present in abnormal amounts as a result of stress is cortisol. This is the hormone that kicks us into flight vs. fight mode, which is fine for a short period of time. When we’re consistently being kicked into flight vs. fight, numerous bodily functions are put on hold causing a multitude of issues. Gratitude research has shown a decrease in cortisol and an even more impressive positive change on heart rate variability, a direct result of reduced stress. Research has shown writing in a gratitude journal or sending thank you’s and little thoughtful notes decreases depression by more than 30%. While participating in a gratitude letter writing study, MRI scans of patients demonstrated changes in brain activity. These changes help patients manage negative emotions while increasing their willingness to be helpful, empathetic and kind.
  • Increased Energy – Gratitude research has repeatedly shown us that people who are thankful and regularly count their blessings have higher energy levels, feel more relaxed, are happier and healthier overall. It’s even been concluded that being grateful has the potential to increase our lifespans.

In a world full of violence and hate, it’s easy to feel like there is less to be thankful for, but maybe this feeling is partly due to not showing grace and saying thank you enough? We don’t need an excuse to add more kindness to the world, but knowing gratitude improves our health in numerous ways is definitely reason enough to be thankful.

Here are a few easy to implement strategies:

  1. Gratitude Journal – Find a little notebook to keep by your bed or at your desk. Simply write out “I am grateful for…” Try to find at least 10 items your grateful for every day. If 10 items were easy to find, don’t stop, continuing listing them out. This is a great exercise because it draws your mind away from the craziness and drama of the day and refocuses you on all the good that continues to surround you. On rough days, this is an awesome book to fall back on. If you’re feeling blue, look at the previous day’s entries. Reading the previous day’s blessings will help shift your mood.
  2. Send Thank You’s and Little Notes – Whatever happened to sending “thank you’s” to people? There are so many ways to be able to say thank you to someone nowadays, there really is no excuse for not doing this little act. Not only will you have a boost in your mood, but the positive impact in the other person’s life is priceless. I still think sending these the “old fashioned” way, snail mail, is an extra special approach. Who doesn’t like receiving something positive in the mail? There’s something special to receive a physical thank you that technology will never be able to replace. Leaving little handwritten notes for your family and friends is an extra special little touch as well. It’s a lot of fun hiding notes in their wallet, lunchbox, sock drawer or anywhere else you can strategically place this little happy note for them to find later. I guarantee you it’ll make that person smile and feel loved. It doesn’t take that much time either. Consider the return on investment for your time, it’s aHUGE return!
  3. Moment of Silence – This works great wherever you are, especially when the day is full of stress and challenges. You can easily take a moment at your desk, in your parked car, in the bathroom if you can’t escape anywhere else, and just breathe. Belly breaths are best for reducing stress, anxiety and lower blood pressure. Now, couple those breaths with “I am grateful for…..” statements and you’ll find yourself feeling much more relaxed and in a happier place so you can return to whatever task needs completing in a much more positive state.
  4. Share and Declare – My Nana was AMAZING at this one. Every single time I was with her, she always talked about how blessed she was and how grateful she was. It’s one of the details I remember about her the most. She led an amazing, full and very blessed life and I know her attitude had a lot to do with it. When we share with others what we’re grateful for, it strengthens our gratitude practice and positively influences those around us as well. One of our dinnertime rituals at our household is to go around the table and share what the best part of our day was and what we’re grateful for. Try it out, I bet everyone will be on board and the room will be filled with more joy and love.
  5. Grateful for the Bad – It’s easy to be grateful for all of the amazing and wonderful things in our lives. Here’s a challenge to take your gratitude practice to the next level. Experiment how you can be grateful for the not-so-awesome stuff as well. Have you ever had the morning when you’re running behind and, of course, you’re hitting EVERY red light along your journey? Isn’t that annoying and even frustrating? One way you could turn this into a positive is by shifting your frustration towards gratitude that you’re being kept safe along the way. We will never know if anything would have happened but maybe hitting every red light kept you from ending up in an accident? Or maybe there was a policeman strategically placed running radar down the way that may have ended up pulling you over for speeding? Those red lights may have slowed you down enough to avoid getting a ticket and being even later? Being grateful for red lights can be relatively easy when you think about them in this manner. Maybe there is someone in your life who has hurt you in some way shape or form. This is not saying be grateful for what they have done by any means. Try to be grateful for the lesson you were given by the experience, or maybe for becoming stronger as a result of going through whatever happened. This is not the easiest one at all but carrying hate for someone or something only weighs you down. It doesn’t negatively impact the other person whatsoever. See how you can change your attitude about some of the bad and see how that changes your behavior. My personal belief is there is always a reason for everything and good always come from bad, sometimes it just takes a while to present itself.

Alright, what do you say? Think you can add some gratitude to your day on a regular basis? I have complete faith in you that you can! Which strategy are you going to implement? Comment and let me know below. Now go and make it an awesome day!

Here’s to Being Healthy!

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