Gratitude is Healing

Practicing Gratitude is Good for You

Life is continually changing and there's always some uncertainty about where we're going – as a person, as a nation, as the human race. Yet, in the midst of all the changes, let's pause and give thanks for what is currently in our lives. Actually, making it a daily practice can positively impact your health and how your brain is processing life.

No matter who or where you are on earth there's the beauty of the moon, the stars, the rising sun. Yet, you have to look up to notice, and possibly get to a place with less light pollution as far as stars go. If you feel unsupported, remember that your own heart beats over 100,000 times a day to keep you alive. Simple things like your car starting with no trouble, a kind word from a friend, your hands, and gratitude for people like Marshall Rosenberg with insightful suggestions about ways we can more fully give and receive gratitude.

Life coaches frequently recommend keeping a gratitude journal. It could be as simple as writing down three things you are grateful for at the end of the day. Or you could make it a happiness journal, writing down a short description of times you've felt happy, adding positive affirmations, creative ideas and goals you have, gems from something you've read or heard, funny stories, and positive feedback you've received from clients, colleagues, friends and loved ones, reminding you that what you say and do matters.

Even thinking about one thing you're grateful for at the end of the day can help change your focus and impact how you're feeling. And what you choose to focus on impacts not only your thoughts and feelings but also your physical health. 

According to the HeartMath Institute, sustained feelings of gratitude affects you in powerful ways:

• Biochemical changes – Favorable changes in the body’s biochemistry include improved hormonal balance and an increase in production of DHEA, the "anti-aging hormone."

• Boost to the immune system – The IgA antibody, which serves as the first line of defense against pathogens, increases in the body.

• Emotional "compound interest" – The accumulated effect of sustained appreciation and gratitude is that these feelings are easier to recreate with continued practice.
This is because experiencing an emotion reinforces the neural pathways of that particular emotion as it excites the brain, heart and nervous system. The downside is that you also can reinforce negative emotions.

The good thing is, the more you practice gratitude the easier it gets.

Thank you for reading this!

Tone-Lise