Boost Your Health With Gratitude: Health and Wellness Blog

According to WebMD, throughout history philosophers and religious leaders have extolled gratitude as a virtue integral to health and well-being. Now, through a recent movement called positive psychology, mental health professionals are taking a close look at how virtues such as gratitude can benefit our health.

"Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations," Emmons (University of California Davis psychology professor) tells WebMD.

In addition, stress is linked to several leading causes of death, including heart disease and cancer, and claims responsibility for up to 90% of all doctor visits.

"Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress," Emmons says.

Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system.

Wow – talk about a natural, inexpensive way to improve my health! I think I can speak for all of us when I say that I want to avoid heart disease, cancer, doctor visits, and stress if at all possible, AND I know much of that stems from a healthy immune system. . . . In a little over a month, many of us will make New Year’s resolutions.

What if we started now and made a commitment to gratitude every day? I use my time in the shower for gratitudes; others journal. I also practice thinking and speaking positively – easier said than done sometimes :). We have talked a lot this year about Blue Zones and creating a community where we can live longer, healthier lives. Just think how we could increase our quality of life by adding gratitude to the Power 9™!

Will you join me in this gratitude health challenge? For your FREE consultation (in person, over the phone, via email), speaking and training needs, tips, or gift certificates, please contact Jessica Crouch: www.ChooseToImprove.com, Jessica@OrganizeAnywhere.com, 319-504-6689. Remember, reaching a goal with help is better than not reaching it at all: working with busy women who are passionate about making a change in their health because they are “sick and tired” of being sick and tired - mentoring them using natural health & wellness so they can save money and sick days!

Happy Thanksgiving!