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12-01-2015, 03:40 PM
Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings and feasting. It is also a time for saying thank you and feeling grateful. Would it be a good idea to infuse the spirit of Thanksgiving into our daily lives? Research and clinical practice suggests that practicing gratitude on a regular basis can have a very beneficial impact on health, particularly mental health.
Beyond the momentary mood boost which happens when one feels grateful, a regular habit of practicing gratitude leads to an overall better mood state. Studies have looked at the practice of gratitude and reported that it is associated with an increase in overall well-being. (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf) Research has examined the specific impact on depression and reported that the practice of gratitude reduces depressive symptomatology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595393) . In addition, when negative things do happen, people who practice gratitude tend to be more resilient because they are more likely to re-frame the negative events in a more positive way. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595393) They are more likely to see the silver lining in the dark cloud and this has the effect of helping them get back up on their feet and keep going with hope and optimism. Life can be hard with stress and struggles being part of the journey. When you think of the good things in your life often as you do in practicing gratitude, it balances out the negatives, and has a cumulative effect of building resilience which makes you more able to take the knocks life gives you.
People who tend to have difficulty falling asleep often lie awake having a myriad worrisome thoughts nagging at them. It's no surprise that they cannot fall asleep, which can then paradoxically become a source of stress that keeps them awake. When people practice gratitude and think of all the things that they feel grateful for as they lie in bed it tends to have a calming impact and helps them fall asleep unlike the worrisome thoughts that keep them awake. (http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com.ezp.slu.edu/?sid=OVID:PsycINFO+%3C2011%3E&genre=article&id=pmid:&id=doi:10.1111%2Fj.1758-0854.2011.01049.x&issn=1758-0846&volume=3&issue=2&spage=193&pages=193-206&date=2011&title=Applied+Psychology%3A+Health+and+Well-Being&atitle=Effects+of+constructive+worry%2C+imagery+di straction%2C+and+gratitude+interventions+on+sleep+ quality%3A+A+pilot+trial.&aulast=Digdon&pid=%3Cauthor%3EDigdon%2C+Nancy%3C%2Fauthor%3E&%3CAN%3E2013-12591-004%3C%2FAN%3E)
A more recent study also found that practicing gratitude has an impact on heart health and people with asymptomatic heart failure had a significant reduction in inflammation levels compared to people who did not practice gratitude. (http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezp.slu.edu/pmc/articles/PMC4507265/) They were also less depressed, slept better and had more energy. One can conclude that a grateful heart makes for a healthy heart!
Practicing gratitude has also been found to encourage pro-social behaviors in people receiving the expressions of gratitude (http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com.ezp.slu.edu/OpenURL_local?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:20515249) and contributing to improving relationships, even marital relationships. (http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fpere.12094?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER)
There seems to be plenty of reasons why the practice of gratitude is a good idea and worth making into a habit. A habit, that is as regular as brushing one's teeth every day. It is not too difficult, and the best thing to do would be to test it out initially and see what happens when you do it for a week or two. In all likelihood you will begin to experience the benefits of gratitude which will then motivate you towards making it more of a habit.
Ways to practice gratitude:
• Keep a gratitude diary. It may mean just noting down little things that happen through the day on paper or on your smart phone, for which you are grateful. Include small things. Taking a few minutes out of your day now and again to do this, will help you to become consciously aware of these little bright sparks that are occurring through the day and help elevate your mood.
• Make thanksgiving a part of your prayers. Have a dialogue with God and say thanks for your blessings, one by one.
• Verbally thank other people for the things they do that you appreciate.
• Write thank you notes to people which also make you more appreciative of the people in your life.
• Savor the good things. When something bad happens, we agonize over it for far too long. But often, when something good happens, we barely take time to enjoy it. So do dwell on them and relish the experience.
• A good exercise which is particularly helpful when you feel beat down is this one: Imagine you are alone on an island, but you can ask for anything from your life and it will be there with you. What would you ask for? You would find yourself starting slowly and asking initially for your loved ones and then move on to more people and things. As you keep going and the list grows with family members, friends, pets, hobbies, books, games, phone, and so on, you will find your mood lifting and by the end of it begin realizing how much you actually have in your life which you have taken for granted and never really appreciated consciously.
• Live your life more mindfully. This translates into an approach to living your life that will actually build gratitude and uplift your spirits. When you have a good cup of coffee, take a moment to savor it and experience it. When you walk outside and feel the sun on your face and wind in your hair, notice it consciously.
Suma Chand, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a member of the Public Education Committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). (http://www.adaa.org/) -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Beyond the momentary mood boost which happens when one feels grateful, a regular habit of practicing gratitude leads to an overall better mood state. Studies have looked at the practice of gratitude and reported that it is associated with an increase in overall well-being. (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf) Research has examined the specific impact on depression and reported that the practice of gratitude reduces depressive symptomatology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595393) . In addition, when negative things do happen, people who practice gratitude tend to be more resilient because they are more likely to re-frame the negative events in a more positive way. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595393) They are more likely to see the silver lining in the dark cloud and this has the effect of helping them get back up on their feet and keep going with hope and optimism. Life can be hard with stress and struggles being part of the journey. When you think of the good things in your life often as you do in practicing gratitude, it balances out the negatives, and has a cumulative effect of building resilience which makes you more able to take the knocks life gives you.
People who tend to have difficulty falling asleep often lie awake having a myriad worrisome thoughts nagging at them. It's no surprise that they cannot fall asleep, which can then paradoxically become a source of stress that keeps them awake. When people practice gratitude and think of all the things that they feel grateful for as they lie in bed it tends to have a calming impact and helps them fall asleep unlike the worrisome thoughts that keep them awake. (http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com.ezp.slu.edu/?sid=OVID:PsycINFO+%3C2011%3E&genre=article&id=pmid:&id=doi:10.1111%2Fj.1758-0854.2011.01049.x&issn=1758-0846&volume=3&issue=2&spage=193&pages=193-206&date=2011&title=Applied+Psychology%3A+Health+and+Well-Being&atitle=Effects+of+constructive+worry%2C+imagery+di straction%2C+and+gratitude+interventions+on+sleep+ quality%3A+A+pilot+trial.&aulast=Digdon&pid=%3Cauthor%3EDigdon%2C+Nancy%3C%2Fauthor%3E&%3CAN%3E2013-12591-004%3C%2FAN%3E)
A more recent study also found that practicing gratitude has an impact on heart health and people with asymptomatic heart failure had a significant reduction in inflammation levels compared to people who did not practice gratitude. (http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezp.slu.edu/pmc/articles/PMC4507265/) They were also less depressed, slept better and had more energy. One can conclude that a grateful heart makes for a healthy heart!
Practicing gratitude has also been found to encourage pro-social behaviors in people receiving the expressions of gratitude (http://hy2ju6vj2n.search.serialssolutions.com.ezp.slu.edu/OpenURL_local?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:20515249) and contributing to improving relationships, even marital relationships. (http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fpere.12094?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER)
There seems to be plenty of reasons why the practice of gratitude is a good idea and worth making into a habit. A habit, that is as regular as brushing one's teeth every day. It is not too difficult, and the best thing to do would be to test it out initially and see what happens when you do it for a week or two. In all likelihood you will begin to experience the benefits of gratitude which will then motivate you towards making it more of a habit.
Ways to practice gratitude:
• Keep a gratitude diary. It may mean just noting down little things that happen through the day on paper or on your smart phone, for which you are grateful. Include small things. Taking a few minutes out of your day now and again to do this, will help you to become consciously aware of these little bright sparks that are occurring through the day and help elevate your mood.
• Make thanksgiving a part of your prayers. Have a dialogue with God and say thanks for your blessings, one by one.
• Verbally thank other people for the things they do that you appreciate.
• Write thank you notes to people which also make you more appreciative of the people in your life.
• Savor the good things. When something bad happens, we agonize over it for far too long. But often, when something good happens, we barely take time to enjoy it. So do dwell on them and relish the experience.
• A good exercise which is particularly helpful when you feel beat down is this one: Imagine you are alone on an island, but you can ask for anything from your life and it will be there with you. What would you ask for? You would find yourself starting slowly and asking initially for your loved ones and then move on to more people and things. As you keep going and the list grows with family members, friends, pets, hobbies, books, games, phone, and so on, you will find your mood lifting and by the end of it begin realizing how much you actually have in your life which you have taken for granted and never really appreciated consciously.
• Live your life more mindfully. This translates into an approach to living your life that will actually build gratitude and uplift your spirits. When you have a good cup of coffee, take a moment to savor it and experience it. When you walk outside and feel the sun on your face and wind in your hair, notice it consciously.
Suma Chand, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a member of the Public Education Committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). (http://www.adaa.org/) -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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