Gratitude: The feel-great attitude

For two Sundays now, the gospel has been heralding the good news that our God is loving and merciful beyond reason. In the story of the prodigal son, the father welcomed the son who squandered his share of his father’s wealth. Unmindful of his son’s transgressions, he restored his dignity by giving him the finest robe, a ring, and a feast of fattened cow when all the prodigal son wanted was to be treated like one of his father’s laborers. Last Sunday, Jesus told the crowd to cast stone to the adulterous woman if they are free of sin. And when no one was left except her and Jesus, he said that neither does he condemn her and told her to sin no more.

Truly, there are so many things to be grateful for, starting with God’s great love for us. While it is my prayer that we enter Holy Week with hearts full of gratitude, there are also so many health reasons why we should always be thankful.

Shape.com wrote that appreciating what you already have might be the key to living a healthier, happier life.  They cited five reasons why. First, gratitude can boost your level of satisfaction. According to a research done by Steve Toepfer of Kent State University, you can increase your level of life satisfaction by simply writing a letter of gratitude. In a study, Toepfer asked subjects to write a meaningful letter of gratitude to anyone they wanted. The more letters they wrote, the less symptoms of depression they reported. They noted feeling happier and were more satisfied with life overall. Toepfer recommended writing letters of gratitude over 15 minutes three times a week to improve your well-being.

Second, gratitude can strengthen your relationship. In a 2010 study published in the journal Personal Relationships, they found that focusing on the positive actions of your partner helps one feel satisfied in your relationship. A few minutes daily of telling your partner a single thing you appreciate about them can go a long way towards strengthening your connection.

Third, gratitude can improve one’s mental health and vitality. A 2007 study by the University of California-Davis revealed that feeling grateful can positively influence one’s well-being and quality of life. A group of patients who were asked to list five things or people they were grateful for every day improved their mental health and well-being scores compared to patients who did not make a thank-you list. Having the latter can help you maintain a positive outlook and boost your energy.

Fourth, expressing gratitude can help you sleep better. Research in the University of Manchester England studied 400 subjects with 40% bothered by sleeping disorders. The study found that those who felt more grateful also reported more positive thoughts and feelings that allowed them to fall asleep faster. They also reported improved overall quality of sleep.

Fifth, gratitude can help you stick with your workout routine. In the study of UCLA-Davis mentioned earlier, another benefit cited by the participants was their ability to stick to regular exercise.

Two psychologists in particular have done a lot of research on gratitude, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California-Davis and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami. In one study, they had three groups with different directives. One group wrote about things they were grateful for, another wrote about irritations or displeasures while a third group wrote about events regardless of whether positive or negative.  After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better since they exercised more.

Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. One can develop the habit by doing the following on a regular basis:

• Write thank-you notes. Show your appreciation for the smallest gifts and gestures. Make a habit of sending at least one thank you letter a month. Or maybe thank you text messages?

• Think thank-you thoughts. Mental thank you will do when you don’t have the time to write. At least, you are acknowledging that someone was a blessing to you.

• Keep a gratitude diary. Make it a habit to jot the blessings you received that day. Some prayer diaries have spaces for a thank-you list.

• Take stock of your blessings weekly. A moment of your alone time every week can be spent reviewing three, five or seven people or events you are most grateful for.

• Pray. People who pray a lot know that proper prayer starts with praise and thanksgiving.

• Meditate. Instead of choosing a phrase to repeat why not focus on something or someone you are grateful for?

“Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations,” Emmons told WebMD. What’s more, an attitude of gratitude also helps bust stress. “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons concluded.

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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.