Gratitude is Good for You!

“More than an emotion, thankfulness is a habit, a learned and practiced        viewpoint, that enriches compassion, deepens kindness and brings out the best in humans.”  Hartford Courant Editorial, Gratitude is Good for You

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  It can be easy to get caught up in the stress and hectic pace of daily life and inadvertently beging taking our many blessings for granted.  Adopting an attitude of gratitude is good for you!  Appreciation, actively practiced throughout the year, has many wonderful benefits for mind, body and spirit … it reduces stress, helps you develop a positive focus, increases your level of happiness and even boosts your immune system.

A great way to begin a gratitude practice is to create a gratitude journal. Simply choose a journal that appeals to you, keep it beside your bed and before going to sleep at night write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for. As an alternative, keep a special stone or memento in your pocket (sometimes called a blessings stone) and each time you touch it, let it be a reminder to think of someone or something you are thankful for.  It’s as easy as that!

Appreciating before going to bed can help you get deeper, more refreshing sleep and taking a few moments to appreciate in the morning can help your day flow more smoothly. Lastly, if something seems to be going wrong, instead of focusing on the potential problem, ask yourself “What is going right?” which will help you remain calm, more positively focused and allow you to more readily perceive solutions.

Full Gratitude is Good for You Editorial: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-gratitude-on-thanksgiving-20121121,0,5178361.story

For more information on gratitude, stress management and positive living, please visit: www.tranquilitybaywellness.com.