Gratitude – By Shelley Abrams
Ah, November! In addition to longer nights, cooler weather and even early snow, it’s perhaps best known as the month that the busy holiday season starts. It’s also known for family gatherings and Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving, at least on the surface, is supposedly a day devoted to expressing gratitude in one’s life. In reality, many of us express gratitude just while we sit at the dinner table, and only then do we do it because our family tradition demands it. We might truly feel grateful or we may just go through the motions. Either way, it’s a tradition so we do it.
What if we turned that tradition into something more meaningful – more long term? And feel better both physically and mentally as a result? Well… there’s research that proves expressing Gratitude is really good for you, in more ways than one.
“GRATITUDE turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
Let’s first talk about the physical benefits of gratitude. Studies at UC Davis and the University of California San Diego’s School of Medicine show that being grateful has a direct positive impact on heart health. Gratitude helps lower blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. And according to a 2003 study by Emmons & McCullough, you’re more inclined to exercise and take care of yourself too if you are in a more constant state of gratitude.
On the mental side of things, being grateful really pays off. In the study by Emmons & McCullough (2003), practicing gratitude regularly reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, thereby increasing our happiness by 10% or more. These changes are often attributed to feeling more relaxed, which makes you sleep better! And better sleep equals more awareness, energy, vitality and an overall feeling of well-being. Another study in 1998 (McCraty and Colleagues) showed a 23% decrease in cortisol levels – the stress hormone – when one strives to make gratitude and appreciation a part of daily life. A 2009 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that frequent expressions of gratitude and kindness stimulate the hypothalamus (which controls many body functions). It also floods our brain with dopamine. In other words, being grateful makes us feel really good, so good that we never want to stop!
Of course, to experience this kind of “natural high”, you have to really feel gratitude at your gut (heart) level!
The effects of gratitude aren’t just limited to our physical and mental health! Being grateful affects so much more! We not only feel better about ourselves, but we feel better about our relationships and are more open to them. We feel more optimistic and even more spiritual. We appreciate what we have and tend to be more satisfied, meaning we can be happier with less. We feel better equipped to handle what life throws at us; a 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says it makes us more resilient! And it can help us be more effective decision-makers. Who doesn’t want that?
So what is Gratitude, exactly? In the simplest terms, gratitude is expressing appreciation and thanks, at a heart-felt level, for everything one experiences in life, both the good and the bad. Feeling grateful isn’t necessarily something people come by naturally, but it can be learned. And practiced. But to reap the maximum rewards, gratitude must be truly felt and believed. It must be cultivated and applied in our daily life!
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
So how does one go about incorporating gratitude into everyday life?
The number one thing that seems to provide the maximum benefit is to keep a “gratitude journal”. This is something you hear Oprah talk about all the time and it’s supported by research – writing down a few things every evening before you go to bed that you are grateful for lets you sleep better and makes you feel better about your life overall! Many people keep a notebook by their bed. I personally use an app on my phone called Gratitude Journal. It’s also handy because I can enter a thought on something I’m grateful for any time it pops into my mind!
Other actions you can take include spending more time focusing on the good in your life (in thoughts, actions, and talk) and less time complaining about the bad! Or, how about taking a moment of quiet reflection acknowledging and expressing gratitude for the things that surround you, including objects, people and even yourself. Send a letter or email or visit someone who has impacted your life or that you feel very grateful to know and tell them! A variation of this is to practice random acts of kindness, with both strangers and people you know. Some people go for gratitude walks. As you walk, you observe things around you, and say something like “Thank you for….” Or “I’m grateful that…”.
Learning to express gratitude is easy but you have to practice and do it! Start taking steps now to incorporate gratitude into your everyday routine, feel that natural high, and you will see a difference in your life and those around you!
“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” – Eileen Caddy