By Dr. Mercola
Can feeling gratitude influence your health? According to a number of
studies, the answer is yes. According to Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy,1 an expert in brain and mind health:2
"If [thankfulness] were a drug, it would be the world's best-selling
product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ
system."
While the American once-a-year gratitude ritual of Thanksgiving is
better than nothing, if you're serious about your wellbeing, you'd be
wise to increase the frequency at which you feel and express gratitude.3
People who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with
stress, have more positive emotions and less anxiety, sleep better4 and have better heart health.5 Studies have also shown that gratitude can produce measurable effects on a number of systems in your body, including:
Mood neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine)
Inflammatory and immune systems (cytokines)
Reproductive hormones (testosterone)
Stress hormones (cortisol)
Social bonding hormones (oxytocin)
Blood pressure and cardiac and EEG rhythms
Cognitive and pleasure related neurotransmitters (dopamine)
Blood sugar
What Is Gratitude?
So what exactly is gratitude? According to Robert Emmons, Ph.D., one of
the leading scientific experts on gratitude featured in the video above,
gratitude has two key components:6
It's "an affirmation of goodness;" when you feel gratitude, you affirm that you live in a benevolent world
It's a recognition that the source of this goodness comes from
outside of yourself; that other people (or higher powers, if you so
like) have provided you with "gifts" that improve your life in some way
In Emmons' view, gratitude is "a relationship-strengthening emotion,
because it requires us to see how we've been supported and affirmed by
other people."
While there are as many reasons to be thankful as there are people in
the world, one facet of life that many often forget to be thankful for
(until it is too late) is their health. We tend to take our health for
granted until we're suddenly in the throes of pain or debilitating
illness.
It goes back to the old adage that it's really the little things that
matter most, and if you cultivate gratitude for the little things, it
will foster a more deep-seated sense of happiness.
After all, if you have good health and all your mental faculties intact,
you also have the prerequisite basics for doing something about the
less satisfactory situations in your life.
How to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Like a muscle, your sense of gratitude can be strengthened with
practice. One way to harness the positive power of gratitude is to keep a
gratitude journal where you write down what you're grateful for each
day. This can be done in a paper journal, or you can download a
Gratitude Journal app from iTunes.7
In one study, people who kept a gratitude journal reported exercising
more, and had fewer visits to the doctor compared to those who focused
on sources of aggravation.8,9 As Dr. Alison Chen suggests in a recent Huffington Post article,10 creating a nightly gratitude ritual can be a powerful strategy.
"My colleague has a bedtime routine with her [3-year-old] and it
includes recognizing what you are grateful for. When this part of the
night comes, you can't shut him up," Chen writes.
"There are so many things that we take for granted and when you
listen to the long list that a child can come up with you realize the
possibilities for gratefulness are limitless!
Take a couple minutes each day to stop and reflect; taking regular
pause is an excellent way to bring about more feelings of gratefulness
in your life."
Avoiding getting sucked into bad news is the other side of this
equation. You may have to limit your media exposure from time to time if
you find it difficult to maintain a positive outlook in the face of
worldly horrors.
As Chen states, "Most cover stories are meant to shock, terrify and
sweep you into a whirlwind of emotions. They don't always feature the
truth." Other ways to cultivate a sense of gratitude include:
• Write thank you notes:
Whether in response to a gift or kind act, or simply as a show of
gratitude for someone being in your life, getting into the habit of
writing thank-you letters can help you express gratitude in addition to
simply feeling it inside.
• Nonverbal actions: This includes smiles and hugs, both of which can express a wide array of messages, from encouragement and excitement to empathy and support. • Mind your please and thank-yous:
While it's easy to say words like please and thank you in passing,
these courtesies can become potent acknowledgments of gratitude when
combined with eye contact and sincerity.
As noted by Chen: "The next time your arms are full and someone holds
the elevator doors for you, don't just glance over your shoulder and say
'thanks.' Turn around, look them in their eyes and mean it; it's the
act of generosity that's important." • Prayer and mindfulness meditation:
Expressing thanks during prayer or meditation is another way to
cultivate gratitude. Practicing "mindfulness" means that you're actively
paying attention to the moment you're in right now.
A mantra is sometimes used to help maintain focus, but you can also
focus on something that you're grateful for, such as a pleasant smell, a
cool breeze, or a lovely memory. • Tap forth gratitude: The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is another helpful tool. EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the energy meridians used in acupuncture.
It's an effective way to quickly restore your inner balance and
healing and helps rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions. In
the video below, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to
tap for gratitude.
What I'm Grateful for Right Now
As Mercola.com celebrates its 19th year online, I have much to be
grateful for, especially my staff, without whom this website would not
be what it is today. It takes many man-hours to keep everything running —
a fact I quickly learned back in 1997 when I started this website and
still had my medical practice.
One way of showing my gratitude each and every day is by providing my
employees with the healthiest working environment and tools possible,
starting with a Gold LEED certified building (LEED is a third-party
verification for "green" buildings11).
We also use air purifiers, live plants and standup desks, and employees
can work out and take fitness classes on the premises. It's a clear
win-win, as there are studies showing that employees who can exercise at
work and use standup desks are more content, more productive and enjoy
better health. I believe this to be true.
Nutrition is also important, which is why I make sure healthy organic lunches are provided. We even grow fresh sprouts
at the office and make regular batches of fermented vegetables. The
video above provides a behind-the-scenes look at my offices and the
people who work there, including a quick interview with Kris, a former
patient who now works for me.
Many other employees have also turned their health around by
implementing the strategies discussed in this newsletter, and this is
another reason why we have such an effective team — they know first-hand
the benefits of what we're doing here and, like me, they are passionate
about spreading the news and helping others improve their health.
Thank You for Your Support!
Last but not least, I'm grateful for YOU. If you were not passionate
about improving your health and wellbeing, there would be no point in
any of this work. Sharing simple, inexpensive strategies that have a
powerful effect on health is my passion. The fact that so many of you
are taking these recommendations to heart and are implementing them and
benefiting from them fills me with gratitude. It's what makes this
journey worthwhile.
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