21st Century Doc

Recently, the University of California published a summary of results from a series of highly focused, cutting-edge studies on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its consequences.

Below are just some of their findings:

(Never mind the heavy “scientific” lingo, look at the trends)

* In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

* A related benefit was observed in the realm of personal goal attainment: Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.

* A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others). There was no difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three groups.

* Participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.

* In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

* Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).

It’s clear – from studies and personal anecdotal evidence – that spending time each day reflecting on the aspects of your life you are grateful for is both healthy and rewarding.

I’d even go further than that:  when you exercise the Discipline of Gratitude you will not only be happier… but you’re going to start to achieve more in your life.

This is very powerful stuff, and I personally have experienced it over and over in my life.

It comes down to this: you can go through your life with a chip on your shoulder, wondering why things aren’t coming easier to you… or you can go through your life feeling grateful for all you have.

It’s your choice. And this choice will define how happy and how successful you are in life.

So, with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, here’s a little 3-step exercise for you, suggested by the University of California.

Step #1: Spend 20 minutes thinking about and writing down all of the things in your life you’re grateful for.

Step #2: Spend 10 minutes meditating on one of the things on your Gratitude List. Think about why you’re grateful for it. How thankful you are for having it in your life. Think about what it truly means to you.

Step #3: Each day going forward, spend 10-minutes meditating on another item on your Gratitude List. As you realize you have new areas, items, or aspects of your life to be thankful for, add them to your Gratitude List and the daily meditation rotation.

Doing this exercise on a regular basis will add an exciting new dimension to your life, boost your overall health and well-being, and make you feel good.

Source: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/

If, however, you think this exercise is too much, there is a quicker and easier way. It’s just a matter of consciously taking a little time on a regular basis to acknowledge everything you have to be grateful for.

And trust me, we all have LOTS to be grateful for.

Just take five minutes, close your eyes – and reflect on everything that you’re grateful for… this is even more powerful if you actually speak those things out loud. And it’s even better if you write them down.

Go ahead… take a few minutes and do it right now…

So how did that feel? Do you feel happier? Lighter? More alive?

This really is a wonderful exercise to do each morning when you wake, or at night when you go to bed.

Bottom line – if you want to achieve great things in your life (and great success), then the
Discipline of Gratitude is one of the key life-skills you need to master.

The good news is that it’s also one of the easiest.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Thank you for being a part of our lives.

Dr. Irina, Dr. David, Tanya, Jeanne, Kody, and the rest of the Transformational Health Team