Gratitude is Good
The word gratitude comes from the Latin word gratus which means thankful. Whether or not you celebrate a Thanksgiving holiday, giving thanks (being grateful) is good for you.
According to research, gratitude can improve your well-being as well as help you to get better sleep, have better immune health and increase your joy.
Gratitude practices you can begin this week:
- Thankful Thursday – set a reminder on your calendar to take time each Thursday and intentionally appreciate someone. Send a note of thanks, make a call or write an email. Explain why you are thankful for him or her. You could also express thankfulness for something he or she did. Be real and be specific about what you are thankful for.
- Gratitude Account – make a list or begin a journal of gratitude. The list should include everything that you are grateful for; everything that you have, that you are or that you get to do. There was a time when our life was at a low point and creating this list was a powerful reminder of what was good and wonderful in life. It helped us refocus on what truly mattered!
- AM Appreciation – each morning make it part of your routine to appreciate two to four things. It can be as simple as appreciating a steaming hot cup of coffee or the wag of your adoring puppy dog’s tail. Our days are filled with Negative Nellies, depressing disasters and tales of economic woe. You will increase your joy when you decide to start your day positively and with appreciation.
Whatever practice you choose, use it and remember that gratitude is good. It is in the practice of gratitude that joy comes.
BONUS: Here is a video from Dr. Brene Brown on the topic of gratitude and joy.
