Gratitude is a big deal. Not just on Thanksgiving or during the holidays, but all year long. Why? Because gratitude has a huge effect on your health. It’s more than just creating a positive mindset. That, on its own, is great. But gratitude has an actual, physiological effect on your body. It improves your physical health! So maybe it really is time to start gratitude practice.
Gratitude improves your mental
and physical health
When you start to practice gratitude you immediately change your body’s chemistry. You release oxytocin (the love/connection hormone), which in turn makes you feel calmer. That means lower blood pressure, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Those calming hormones allow your body to come out of its stressed state. I’ve talked about this before, but when you’re constantly stressed, your body wants to protect itself. And it does that by storing fat, burning muscles, and spiking your blood sugar and blood pressure levels. It also shuts down your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that makes logical decisions. Chronic stress is not doing your body any good! And practicing gratitude counters that. It gives your body what it needs to come out of that stress state.
Popular exercises to practice gratitude
If you’re learning the skill of consistently practicing gratitude, there are a bunch of ways to learn the habit. Just choose the way that works best for you…
- Gratitude Journal. This is probably the most common way. Take a few minutes every day to sit and write down 3 things that you are grateful for.
- Gratitude Jar. Get an empty jar. Every day, jot down a few things you're grateful for on slips of paper and add them to the jar.
- Gratitude Stone. Pick a small physical object (like a rock) that you can carry with you. Whenever you touch the object, pause and think of something you’re grateful for.
- Thank You Notes. Write a quick note to someone and either give it to them, or throw it in a box.
- Meditation or Walk. Take a few minutes to either sit or walk and focus your thoughts on what you’re grateful for.
Remember, the method you choose doesn’t particularly matter. And the specific things you’re grateful for don’t matter either (there are days where I’m grateful for coffee). What matters is that you’re actually taking the time to feel grateful. You’re practicing gratitude.
Practice gratitude all year long!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. But the biggest reason is because gratitude is really important to me, all year long. It takes zero dollars but has had a huge effect on my mindset and physical health.
It’s so easy for me to get into “go, go, go” “achieve, achieve, achieve” mode where I’m hyper focused on what I need to do next. Practicing gratitude allows me to reflect on what I’m doing, and enjoy where I am right now, and where I’ve been. I realized recently that ten years ago I was hoping and dreaming to be where my family and I are now. I’m so grateful for that!
I’m also grateful for
you! I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you’re able to create gratitude practices that benefit you all year long.
