Thanksgiving is a great time to remember the importance of gratitude and practice it. I shared earlier this week the health benefits of having an attitude of gratitude in a blog post, “Does gratitude improve health?”
So now that we know some of the health benefits of gratitude, how can we perform this daily? Here are 7 tips to get you started on having an attitude of gratitude.
- Begin your day with thanksgiving. As soon as you arise, Say “Thank you God for blessing me to see another day”. This will help you receive this day as a special gift, specifically for you!
- Smile! Smiling actually causes chemicals in the brain, endorphins, to be released. These chemicals help to make us feel good. So by smiling you feel better, and others around you will likely smile in response, and feel better too.
- Make a list of at least 3 things you are grateful for. Say aloud, “thank you” for these things at least 3 times during the day. This will remind you that you have things to be grateful for.
- Greet people who are serving you. Say “Hello” to the cashier at the store, or custodian worker at your job. Thank them for the service they provide.
- Tell your love ones how grateful you are for them. Remind your spouse, significant other, parents, kids, friends, or pets that you are grateful for them.
- Write a note, or send a text. Thank someone for something they have done for you.
- Give thanks for prayer requests you’ve made. By giving thanks to God for what you’ve prayed about, you are telling God you know He has heard you, and He will answer.
I’m reminded of the miracle of Jesus healing the 10 lepers. Only one of the lepers turned back and praised and thanked Jesus for what was done. Because of his thanksgiving and faith, he was made whole (no more deformities). (Luke 17: 11-19)
Thanksgiving is a great time to begin to or continue to have an attitude of gratitude. I encourage you to try the 7 ways to show gratitude. Take time to give daily thanks and decrease your cortisol levels and be healthier as a result.