Expressing Gratitude Is Healthy For You

POSTED ON August 2, 2016 BY Lindsay Sibson

Expressing Gratitude Is Healthy For You

Written by: Lindsay Sibson

Thanks. Thank You. Thaaaaaaaaanks.

You most likely say these words many times throughout your day without even realizing the power of them!

Perhaps it was to the barista making your favorite coffee this morning, or the person that held the door for you – afterall, it is pretty easy to let these words fly.

However, saying “Thank You” goes much deeper than being two simple words. This phrase is a good starting point for expressing GRATITUDE.

And being grateful is an even better jumping off point to living a happy, healthy and fulfilling life!

Two KEY Health Benefits Of Gratitude

Reduces Stress

TOO much stress can have a massive negative impact on health
An “attitude of gratitude” has been shown to be a successful stress reliever
Studies have shown that grateful people take better care of themselves, such as:
- Getting regular exercise
- Eating a healthy diet
- Having regular physical examination
Cultivating an attitude of thankfulness has been associated with:
- Better ability to relax
- Decrease rates of disease

Immune Booster

Grateful people tend to be more optimistic
- A characteristic that boosts the immune system
A study showed that first-year law students under stress maintained higher numbers of immune system-protecting blood cells IF they were optimistic
- Pessimistic students didn’t fare as well

Making The CHOICE To Be Grateful

It’s important to remember that gratitude and happiness are simply FIRST steps, not end results, according to Shawn Achor’s TED talk about “The Happy Secret To Better Work”:

[iframe id=”https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html”]

By making the choice to be happy and have gratitude, you can improve your performance and ability all while boosting your HEALTH!

How To Make Gratitude A Habit

You can train your brain to become stronger at having an attitude of gratitude by performing consistent actions that let YOU and others know how thankful and grateful you are.

You can get started by embracing one of these simple practices today:

Acts Of Kindness	Doing small, un-noticed, good deeds each day Boosts your natural tendency to be grateful Helps you look for the good in any situation
A Daily List	Make a list and write down things you are grateful for Make them special and specific for that day To set the tone for your day, write your list first thing in the morning Revisit the list and add a few items before you go to sleep Will help you stay cheerful and positive
Gratitude Letters	Thank your friends and family for their influence on your life by writing a letter to them Detail the reasons why you are grateful for them

Before you go, please SHARE with us what you are grateful for TODAY in the comment section below… you may just inspire someone to notice the same thing in their life!!

About
Latest Posts

Lindsay Sibson

Lindsay Sibson turned her lifelong dream of traveling the world into a reality when she first stepped on a plan in April of 2014. With the simple intention of learning more about this beautiful world, she stepped away from corporate America to explore an alternative lifestyle of long term international travel, volunteering, blogging and pursuing a blissfully happy and fulfilling way of life.

Lindsay documents her journey in hopes of empowering others to find their passion, reignite their spark and freshen their outlook on life. Connect with her on her website and follow her travels on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/_traveloholic_).

Through her blog, Lindsay documents her journey in hopes of empowering others to find their passion, reignite their spark and freshen their outlook on life.