Gratitude and You: A Road to Greater Wellness
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful or the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Oftentimes, this practice is exercised through letter writing. But did you know that gratitude can have a significant positive impact on your overall health? Studies show that it has healing benefits both psychological and physiological. Grab your pencils and gratitude journals if you’re ready for a wellness boost. Here’s why it works.
Peace Out to Toxic Emotions
Ever heard the phrase, “What you focus on grows bigger?” Gratitude is one of those things that perhaps deserves your attention. A primary reason why it works in healing is that it draws your focus away from toxic emotions. It is a means of celebrating the present and taking ownership over your life. Expressing thankfulness also places more emphasis on what currently exists in one’s reality rather than allocating energy toward absent things.
Keep Your Lips Sealed
There are several ways to practice gratitude. Some of these include having visual reminders of things and people you’re grateful for, or reflecting on the hard times to draw a contrast containing happy memories. Writing gratitude letters is also a popular wellness practice and while letters traditionally are meant to be shared with the intended recipient, in the case of gratitude, it is okay to keep your lips sealed. The practice still works even if you don’t send the letters. Benefits stem from the act of writing the gratitude acknowledgments which inadvertently will turn you away from internal toxicity.
Give it Time
Immediate gratification may be desired but often good things take time to develop. Participants of a research study showed continued mental health progress weeks after their journal writing ended. This may be due in part to the follow up discussions individuals had with counselors regarding their gratitude work. It's possible that the reinforcing conversations about the writing allowed for a space of long term benefits.
Notable Facts
Gratitude may seem like an abstract concept at times but tangible facts exist that support the value of thankfulness on the mind and body. Here are some statistics from the UC Davis Medical Center:
Gratitude is related to 23 percent lower levels of stress hormones (cortisol).
Writing a letter of gratitude reduced feelings of hopelessness in 88 percent of suicidal inpatients and increased levels of optimism in 94 percent of them.
Gratitude is related to a 10 percent improvement in sleep quality in patients with chronic pain, 76 percent of whom had insomnia, and 19 percent lower depression levels.
Grateful people have 16 percent lower diastolic blood pressure and 10 percent lower systolic blood pressure compared to those less grateful.
Dietary fat intake is reduced by as much as 25 percent when people are keeping a gratitude journal.
Are you ready to show more thanks? Even if it's just for you, the results are undeniable. What role will gratitude play in your life?
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