Feeling gratitude makes you healthier

We need to look after ourselves both physically and mentally in order to be truly ‘healthy’. It may be easy to see that having an attitude of gratitude is good for your mental health but it may not seem to have much to do with physical health. However, research shows there is a close connection. Gratitude boosts both your mental and physical health.

Gratitude is acknowledging good things in life and feeling thankful for them. The more you acknowledge the good already in your life the more good things you will become aware of, and increasingly good things will be attracted to your life.



A considerable amount of research has been done on the effect of feeling gratitude. Currently there is a $5.6 million research project on gratitude being conducted by the University of California Davis in collaboration with the University of California Berkley.

Research has shown the benefits of practising gratitude include:
• Greater optimism (this also boosts the immune system)
• Increased happiness
• The ability to manage stress better
• Greater mental alertness
• Having more compassion for others
• Better relationships and feeling more connected to other people
• Better overall health and less need to visit a doctor
• Lower blood pressure
• Being more likely to exercise regularly
• Being more motivated to eat a healthy diet
• Greater inclination to get regular medical check ups
• More energy
• Sleeping better



What can a person leading an ordinary life feel gratitude for? There are many things that may be taken for granted unless one makes a conscious effort to look for the positive. Depending on individual circumstances these could include:
• Supportive family members and friends
• Sufficient food
• Fresh water
• Clean air
• A house to live in
• The neighbourhood you live in
• A car (even if it is old and has seen better days)
• Medical care
• A job
• Public transport
• The wonders and beauty of the natural world
• Music



The list goes on. Even if times are tough, there is usually much to feel gratitude for. Being aware of these things will improve your ability to cope with life’s challenges and stresses. It will improve your relationships with others and strengthen your support network which will also help you handle problems.

How can one practise feeling gratitude? Here are some ideas to try:
• Each day write down 3 to 5 things you are thankful for. These things could be written in a gratitude journal or on the computer.
• Each day take a photo of something that makes you happy. Save the photos in a folder with a label that makes them easy to find. If you are computer savvy you could set up a slideshow that keeps changing when your computer is idle so you will see them frequently.
• Make a habit of seeing the positive aspect to negative situations, where possible. For example, rather than complaining about an event being cancelled due to the weather think how good the rain is for the garden and the benefit of the reservoirs filling up. Think of something fun to do with the spare time you now have.
• Remember the ‘good times’ with pleasure rather than being sad they are over.
• Consciously remember the good things rather than dwelling on the negative.
• Thank people, either verbally or in writing.



It is worth cultivating an attitude of gratitude as it will improve both your mental and physical health. Improved health gives you something else to feel gratitude for.

Related articles
{How to cultivate an attitude of gratitude}

Categories
#august_comp
#self_help_ &_Improvement
#general_wellness



%healthyhints