I wanted to write about Thanksgiving this weekend. Merriam-Webster defines thankful as being “conscious of a benefit received”. Other words you might use in place of thankful include being grateful, appreciative, or satisfied. So Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on those things in our lives we are grateful for, the things that have made us who we are, including challenges we’ve faced and blessings we’ve enjoyed.
Another term that applies to the thought of being thankful is “contentment”. It is amazing how difficult it can be at times for us to feel content in any and every circumstance we find ourselves in. Our environment can press in on us and try to steal our joy by whispering (sometimes screaming) about all the difficulties we face or everything we lack. It doesn’t help to be bombarded with “Black Friday” ads for days leading up to and even the day of Thanksgiving. If only I had this or that, then I’d be content or satisfied; or if only this problem was resolved, then I could really be thankful.
I think we get things backwards sometimes when we allow our situation or other people to dictate whether we are content or not. When we do that we relinquish control to whatever force demands our attention at the moment. Being thankful or content should be an inside job and flow from the perspective of our personal priorities and values. The fact that you are reading this means you got up this morning, can breathe and are able to read this article. If someone close to you is ill or has passed away, you can be thankful for having known and loved them through the grief of the loss. Sadness and thankfulness are not mutually exclusive. You can’t be ungrateful or bitter, however, and thankful at the same time.
There are a lot of benefits to being thankful. A recent article in Forbes listed 7 benefits of being grateful.
- It can open the door to more relationships and help you win new friends.
- It can improve your psychological health and help reduce depression while increasing your happiness.
- It enhances empathy and reduces aggression with a reduced desire to retaliate against others
- It helps you sleep better
- It improves your self-esteem, helping to increase your performance on and off the job.
- It increases your mental strength, helping you overcome stressful or traumatic events that might otherwise derail your wellbeing and happiness.
The seventh and final item is that it can clearly help your physical health in profound ways, and there is plenty of research to back it up.
- Being thankful has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve immune function
- Grateful people have been found to have better heart health, less related inflammation and healthier heart rhythms, perhaps even reducing the risk of sudden death
- Gratitude improves a sense of well-being with a less depressed mood and less fatigue
- Daily thankfulness reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23% and may actually reduce the effects of brain aging.
- Finally gratitude leads to healthier behaviors including an improved diet and more physical activity
So how can you practice gratitude. Here is a simple three step process to follow that can help you easily enjoy all the benefits of a life of contentment.
ONE: Before you go to bed each night take 5 minutes to jot down in a journal the three things you are most grateful for at that moment. These should be the last things you think about as you dose off to sleep. This will help you end your day, thinking about what you are thankful for. You’ll have a more restful night’s sleep
TWO: In the morning, sometime before you start your day, glance at your journal and express your gratitude for the three things you noted the night before. This will help you begin your day with gratitude and a positive, more optimistic attitude. You’ll have more energy for the day.
THREE: Throughout the day remind yourself periodically about what you are thankful for and be on the lookout for new items to include in your journal entry that night. This will help you live your day with thanks as well as help you with your attitude, communication and relationships all day long.
So this Thanksgiving remember that being grateful this year is one of the best ways to improve your health. You should try and make every day thanksgiving. It will help you emotionally, physically and even spiritually as you work to protect your health and enjoy the good life.