I get asked “how do I get more results?” especially around this time of the year. My default response is almost always “Eat better, move more, get better sleep and so on.”
Well not this year – yes those things are important for optimal health and wellness, but there has been a shift when it comes to lasting results and that’s called gratitude.
More and more researchers are finding that gratitude not only makes you feel like a better person, but it’s also linked to improving your health.
Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life.
What! No vitamins, no sweating at the gym, no eating low carb – well yes those do all help - but YES, incorporating more gratitude in your life will impact your health just like the treadmill!
The Power of Gratitude is Really Quite Extraordinary
Showing gratitude is sometimes a required or expected thing and at other times a spontaneous “thank you” to someone who has unknowingly made our day. On most occasions, we show gratitude to bring some of the good feelings we have been gifted back to the gifter.
While it is admirable to want to share our gratitude and good feelings with others, we rarely stop to think what it really is doing for us.
Gratitude can make you healthier; it makes you appreciate what you have rather than what you don’t have. Gratitude changes your life because it’s the single-most powerful source of inspiration that any person can tap into if they simply just stop and pay attention to the simplistic beauty and miracle of life.
One of my favorite things that shows more of what gratitude does is the ability to release antidepressant and mood-regulating chemicals. It also improves emotional resiliency, all of which help combat stress. I always say “No one has ever felt worse after showing gratitude.”
Gratitude Walk
The goal of the gratitude walk is to observe the things you see around you as you walk. Take it all in. Be aware of nature, the colors of the trees, the sounds the birds make, how the sun feels on your face and notice how your feet feel when you step onto the ground. Hopefully, it will be easy to express gratitude for all the things that you are experiencing in the present.
The effects are more potent when you can enjoy a gratitude walk with a friend or a fellow team member as well. This way you can show them appreciation for being able to spend the time walking together.
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