Thank You Is Good For Me

thank you photoGratitude doesn’t have to happen only on World Gratitude Day or around the Thanksgiving table. Happiness researchers have found that expressing gratitude has wide-ranging benefits. Counting your blessings on a frequent basis is associated with increased happiness. Grateful people are more likely to:

  • take better care of themselves both mentally and physically
  • get more regular exercise
  • eat a healthier diet
  • have improved mental alertness
  • schedule regular physical examinations with their doctor
  • cope better with stress and everyday challenges
  • feel happier and more optimistic
  • report more hours and better quality of sleep
  • experience fewer physical symptoms like headaches, coughing, nausea, or pain
  • have stronger immune systems
  • maintain a brighter view of the future

So how do you put more thanks-giving and gratitude into your day? Try these suggestions to give yourself a boost:

  1. Be mindful of what you have. It’s not how much you have, but how you feel about what you have, that makes the difference.
  2. Write it down or share with a group that you meet with on a routine basis. This is a great way to continually give thanks.
  3. If someone thanks you, accept the thanks graciously. Let the person know you appreciate being thanked. You don’t need to do anything else. Honestly.
  4. Look for small things to be thankful for. The only person they have to be meaningful to is you. Here are some examples: “I found a parking space right away”; “It’s raining and I remembered my umbrella today”; “I was in a hurry and someone let me go in front of them in the line at the store”; “I had a good hair day.”
  5. If you write a thank you note, keep it short and simple. It’s not a big report that’s due or the novel you keep putting off writing. Just think of the reason for the thank you and be sincere. If you forgot to send a thank you note, don’t let the elapsed time be an excuse to avoid the task all together. You can send a quick email and then get to the real thing.

During the holiday season and throughout the year, enjoy and be thankful for the little and the big things and the kindnesses of others. Gratitude is good for your head, good for your heart, and good for your soul. And, just so you know, we take you very seriously – thanks for taking the time to read this message.

 

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Posted: November 21, 2014


Category: WORK & LIFE
Tags: Family Relationships, Gratitude, Health And Safety, October-December 2014, Panhandle-livingwell, Positive Attitude, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving


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