Can Attitude Influence My Health?

This year, the holidays will look and feel different due to the impact of the ongoing pandemic. More than ever, it is important to stay safe and healthy. Make sure you have your flu shot, avoid large gatherings and wear a mask when with those outside your household. Now is the time to plan with family and friends and find creative and unconventional ways to celebrate. Even in the best of times, the holidays bring stress. It is in these moments of uncertain and challenging times that we need gratitude the most.

Gratitude encourages us to focus on what ‘is’ rather than what ‘is not.’ In this manner, gratitude is closely associated with mindfulness—focusing on silver linings, counting blessings and being thankful for the simple things in life.

Studies show that those who regularly perform intentional acts of gratitude experience more positive emotions, fulfilling experiences, improve their sleep quality and are better able to deal with adversity and stress. Being mindful and expressing gratitude can also improve our overall health via higher rates of good cholesterol and lower levels of depression.

By practicing gratitude over time and incorporating it into your daily routine as a habit, it becomes easier and we can appreciate and develop better attitudes about both the positives and negatives in life. Gratitude doesn’t have to be grandiose either. It’s often the little things that create the most positive impacts.

To express more gratitude in your life consider the following tips:

• Keep a gratitude journal
• Write down and then say out loud what you are grateful for
• Set aside a few minutes each day to say a prayer of thanks
• Send thank you cards to friends, family, neighbors or colleagues
• Complete an act of kindness for someone else
• Find a positive in a negative/difficult situation
• Post grateful notes on a board visible to others
• Watch your words
• Volunteer
• Use visual reminders and picture the things in your mind

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