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Every year about this time, it is easy to find someone sharing what they are thankful for on social media or at a family gathering. These declarations usually include topics like family, friends, good health and a roof overhead. Research has found that this idea of thankfulness shouldn’t be something that we just practice in the month of November, but all year, and it’s actually really good for our health.
According to UCLA Health, researchers in multiple fields have found that the practice of gratitude, or a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something, is associated with many positive effects on both mental and physical health. Gratitude can improve sleep, mood and immunity and can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain and disease. People with a grateful mindset report more satisfaction with their lives, quality and fulfilling social relationships, more self-esteem along with less depression and anxiety.
Neuroscientists think our brains actually focus on negative things in our environments and lives to help us avoid these negative things in the future. If we’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, irritated or frustrated, our brains tend to recall these feelings or events that caused them and we can put much of our focus on these negative things and less focus on the positive and uplifting parts of our lives.
Gratitude comes more naturally to some people. It might be genetics or environment that play a role. For most people, though, gratitude is something that is practiced and worked toward, because as mentioned earlier, our brains naturally tend to focus on the negative.
The American Heart Association recommends five ways to get started practicing gratitude. You can either take a few minutes to write these things down at the end of the day or spend a few minutes at dinner each night sharing them.
Health – what did your body do for you today? Each day our lungs take about 20,000 breaths and our heart beats 100,000 times. Our legs take us to work or school and our hands clap at our kids’ activities. Each and every day there is something our bodies do for us for which we can be grateful.
Food – what did you eat that nourished your body today? Maybe you had a salad at lunch filled with veggies grown by area farmers, maybe you tried a new recipe or maybe you indulged in a sweet treat. If you eat three meals a day, that’s about 1000 meals you eat every year.
Activity – what did you enjoy doing today? It’s possible you went for a walk, had a conversation with a friend, laughed at a video online, played with your dog or took five minutes to be quiet and still. Every day has at least one activity that brings joy.
Relationships – who did you connect with today? Maybe today your spouse listened about your hard day, your child gave you a hug, you scheduled a meet-up with friends or a stranger smiled at you at the grocery store. Our lives are filled with connection, and there is always someone for which we can be thankful.
Time – what did you do with your time today? Many of us tend to be short on time, but the way we spend our time is a choice. It’s possible you woke up early to have five extra minutes of quiet, spent a few minutes reading a new book, worked on a hobby or spent quality time with someone you love. Each day has 24 hours and even with many of those hours full of “required” tasks, we can be thankful for each of the hours in a day.
You can even practice gratitude on your device. There are lots of apps that have to do with gratitude. Find one that works for you and your lifestyle. Popular apps include: Gratitude, Appreciation Jar (for couples), Gratitude Forest, Three Lines Gratitude Journal and the Happiness Bar Gratitude Journal.
However you decide to practice gratitude in your life, remember it’s a practice but one that’s good for your health not just in November, but all year too!
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