Expressing Gratitude is Good for Everyone!

Expressing Gratitude is Good for Your Health

by Debbie L

Bay Mountain AG

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I want to tell everyone that it has been a difficult year for us, many of our friends and associates, as well as our country as we try to come together after a difficult election season.  But as scattered as I feel sometimes, I know the hemp is harvested and drying in the barn, there are still people I love, friends I call, goals I am working towards, and places I want to see, and I am still healthy enough to do them, and have food in my cupboard and heat in my furnace.  And sometimes after listening to the news, I am hopeful that we will all work together to make sense of some of the world’s craziness…. so, I am grateful.

Amidst this uncertainty, I find that I am not alone.  Studies show that expressing gratitude is good for us.  Feeling thankful can improve our sleep, mood, and immunity. It can also help decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.

My personal experience tells me these studies are right.  I try to end my day with my journal, where I put pressing issues to paper, and then list the people and things I am grateful for. The act of doing this seems to help me put my problems to bed for the night, and keeps me focused on my longer-term goals, and often inspires me to make a call, email, or write to someone who I miss or feel out of touch with. 

While my gratitude habit helps me quiet my mind and focus better, I was not surprised when I read the other ways listed above it improves my life.  Thankfulness or gratitude actually increases the well-being of the recipient by triggering the release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes positive feelings and helps us feel connected to each other.  By journaling, meditating or another way, it seems that expressing gratitude will help you turn the lemons into your life into lemonade!