Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

Reply
Honored Social Butterfly

Gratitude as a Health Tool

Gratitude can improve your life, and may even save it! No really. Dartmouth posted this web page on the importance of gratitude: http://www.umassd.edu/counseling/forparents/reccomendedreadings/theimportanceofgratitude/

 

Here’s a clip from that page:

 

"Researchers ... are turning their attention to the study of gratitude and its relationship to health and mental well-being. I will present some of their findings here to help us understand how gratitude is helpful and why it's important to our well-being.

 

People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis have been found to exercise more regularly, have fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and feel more optimistic about their upcoming week as compared to those who keep journals recording the stressors or neutral events of their lives.


Daily discussion of gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, and sleep duration and quality. Grateful people also report lower levels of depression and stress, although they do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.


People who think about, talk about, or write about gratitude daily are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support to another person.


Those with a disposition towards gratitude are found to place less importance on material goods, are less likely to judge their own or others success in terms of possessions accumulated, are less envious of wealthy people, and are more likely to share their possessions with others.


Emerging research suggests that daily gratitude practices may have some preventative benefits in warding of coronary artery disease."

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
195,735 Views
640
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


epster wrote:

Gratitude can improve your life, and may even save it! No really. Dartmouth posted this web page on the importance of gratitude: http://www.umassd.edu/counseling/forparents/reccomendedreadings/theimportanceofgratitude/

 

Here’s a clip from that page:

 

"Researchers ... are turning their attention to the study of gratitude and its relationship to health and mental well-being. I will present some of their findings here to help us understand how gratitude is helpful and why it's important to our well-being.

 

People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis have been found to exercise more regularly, have fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and feel more optimistic about their upcoming week as compared to those who keep journals recording the stressors or neutral events of their lives.


Daily discussion of gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, and sleep duration and quality. Grateful people also report lower levels of depression and stress, although they do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.


People who think about, talk about, or write about gratitude daily are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support to another person.


Those with a disposition towards gratitude are found to place less importance on material goods, are less likely to judge their own or others success in terms of possessions accumulated, are less envious of wealthy people, and are more likely to share their possessions with others.


Emerging research suggests that daily gratitude practices may have some preventative benefits in warding of coronary artery disease."


I'm grateful that a person can have a happy heart despite circumstance, and that this happy heart can help improve circumstance. So to all you Howdy Doodys out there: salute! And to the Oscar the Grouches, allow me to quote Kin Hubbard: A grouch escapes so many little annoyances that it almost pays to be one.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
2,971 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I am grateful for the weekend, and the contractors not being outside working, so I can have my car on the driveway! I have to do my grocery shopping, and don't feel like hauling bags of stuff down the hill, from where I have to park when the contractors are here.

 

I am grateful that I can use the dry summer as an excuse not to take my car to the car wash! 🙂


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,553 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I'm grateful that I have plenty of energy, when I need it! I'm on my 2nd load of laundry this morning, and have to put fresh linens on the bed. My least favorite chore is putting the cover back on the mattress topper .. it's like trying to corral Jell-o! 😞


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,595 Views
0
Report
Silver Conversationalist


@Epster wrote:

Gratitude can improve your life, and may even save it! No really. Dartmouth posted this web page on the importance of gratitude: http://www.umassd.edu/counseling/forparents/reccomendedreadings/theimportanceofgratitude/

 

Here’s a clip from that page:

 

"Researchers ... are turning their attention to the study of gratitude and its relationship to health and mental well-being. I will present some of their findings here to help us understand how gratitude is helpful and why it's important to our well-being.

 

People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis have been found to exercise more regularly, have fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and feel more optimistic about their upcoming week as compared to those who keep journals recording the stressors or neutral events of their lives.


Daily discussion of gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, and sleep duration and quality. Grateful people also report lower levels of depression and stress, although they do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.


People who think about, talk about, or write about gratitude daily are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support to another person.


Those with a disposition towards gratitude are found to place less importance on material goods, are less likely to judge their own or others success in terms of possessions accumulated, are less envious of wealthy people, and are more likely to share their possessions with others.


Emerging research suggests that daily gratitude practices may have some preventative benefits in warding of coronary artery disease."


I'm soo grateful for this wonderful country I live in - that gives me the freedom and opportunity to better myself.

 

Go USA!  Smiley Very Happy

2,514 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - I hope the aspirin does the trick; do you ever use Aleve? My weekly workout with a trainer is today, and my knees are still hurting from trimming vines over the weekend.

 

I have to think about what I'm grateful for today; the weather is hot & humid .. "soupy" per the weatherman. Although it's very dry in NJ, I'm grateful for the timing, so my contractors don't lose any productive work days!


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,539 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - I hope the aspirin does the trick; do you ever use Aleve? My weekly workout with a trainer is today, and my knees are still hurting from trimming vines over the weekend.

 

I have to think about what I'm grateful for today; the weather is hot & humid .. "soupy" per the weatherman. Although it's very dry in NJ, I'm grateful for the timing, so my contractors don't lose any productive work days!


Actually, I haven't taken aspirin (haven't had breakfast) and it is looking like I shan't: I don't hurt. Amazing but true. That said, I have a bottle of generic aspirin on hand. It might be 2 years old, not sure. I may use a homemade herbal muscle relaxer later if I start to hurt, we'll see.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,535 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - A slight tangent & potentially politically incorect question: What do you think about parks that attempt to preserve nature & their wilderness, but then put in significant accommodations for those physically challenged, to be able to reach areas previously only accessible to those in excellent physical condition?


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,541 Views
2
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - A slight tangent & potentially politically incorect question: What do you think about parks that attempt to preserve nature & their wilderness, but then put in significant accommodations for those physically challenged, to be able to reach areas previously only accessible to those in excellent physical condition?


I think this is a topic that deserves its own thread. Smiley Wink

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
2,526 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster wrote:
I think this is a topic that deserves its own thread. Smiley Wink

True; but what category does it go in? I'm NOT putting it in the political area, where all the extremists will attack whatever people post! Private message?


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,576 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - OK, this is what I've got growing on my property ... what kind of useful potions can I make?

 

     (English) Ivy

     Virginia creeper

     Rambling rose

     Wisteria

     Poison ivy

 

PS - This stuff grows fast enough, that if my "potion" is useful & commercially viable, I have enough raw material to produce it on an industrial scale! 🙂


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,565 Views
28
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - OK, this is what I've got growing on my property ... what kind of useful potions can I make?

 

     (English) Ivy

     Virginia creeper

     Rambling rose

     Wisteria

     Poison ivy

 

PS - This stuff grows fast enough, that if my "potion" is useful & commercially viable, I have enough raw material to produce it on an industrial scale! 🙂


OK  Poison Ivy ?  

Life's a Journey, not a Destination" Aerosmith
2,539 Views
27
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@nyadrn wrote:

 

OK  Poison Ivy ?  


Well, foxglove can be toxic to animals, but is also used medicinally (digitalis) .. so why not poison ivy? 🙂 Or we could just use the other vines for potions!


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,447 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

 
"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,530 Views
25
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

 
"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,524 Views
24
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I'm grateful for the men and women who studied plant medicine before me, and who left us an instructive lexicon.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,461 Views
23
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I'm grateful to be alive. 

 

LOL: usually wake up with a thought for this thread, but not today, so this morning I am grateful just to be alive. LOL...

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,510 Views
22
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

... then there's the hens singing/clucking in rounds right now in their coop; the fact that dawn brings us one day closer to having our recumbent trikes; the twin mule deer fawns and doe that were chomping on one of the willow trees last evening at dusk, and which didn't care that I hung out and chatted them up ... these are things to enjoy and to offer gratitude for. Yes, indeed. 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
2,507 Views
21
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Grateful for the mad scientists of the world (DH, I am looking at you!). The oddballs who see things differently, the ones who tweak a small thing and end up making life better for the rest of us, the square pegs, the wild eyed upstream swimmers. To you, for you, I shout SALUTE!

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,555 Views
19
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Continuing on the above theme (hurrah for the tweakers -- not twerkers, I can do without them, to be frank) ...

 

Carwash designers. I mean really: both vehicles were filthy dirty this morning and now both vehicles look great. One of the vehicles I washed today is 17 years old and doesn't look a day over (covers mouth with hand) 14!

 

I can be grateful for that, yes sir, indeedy-do, I can.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
2,542 Views
18
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I'm grateful for the month of September. For many it is the 'get back to it' month, but for us, because family milestone days, it is 30 days of PAR-TAY!

 

Conga line forms here ->X Smiley Very HappySmiley Very HappySmiley HappyWoman HappyMan HappyMan Very HappyWoman WinkCat SurprisedSmiley Tongue

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,669 Views
17
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

 

::: hick :::

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,672 Views
16
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Woot! So far survived 65 miles on the bike this week! And for not feeling achy, or wishing that I would die (too much pain can do that, am I right?), I am grateful!

...

Edit:

Back to rephrase this, and to apologize for the insensitivity reflected in my words above. I'd like to blame the microbrews we had at bike ride's end, but I'm the one who drank 20 ounces of dark beer, so I'm to blame, yah? Yah. OK.

 

I'm grateful to have gotten into good enough shape this summer so that 2 long bike rides (not to mention other workouts and 3 mile walks) in a week didn't phase me. Hurrah! Hard work pays off!

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,652 Views
15
Report
Silver Conversationalist


@Epster wrote:

Woot! So far survived 65 miles on the bike this week! And for not feeling achy, or wishing that I would die (too much pain can do that, am I right?), I am grateful!

...

Edit:

Back to rephrase this, and to apologize for the insensitivity reflected in my words above. I'd like to blame the microbrews we had at bike ride's end, but I'm the one who drank 20 ounces of dark beer, so I'm to blame, yah? Yah. OK.

 

I'm grateful to have gotten into good enough shape this summer so that 2 long bike rides (not to mention other workouts and 3 mile walks) in a week didn't phase me. Hurrah! Hard work pays off!

 

 


Perhaps my "insensitivity" is too great to recognize yours - but I just don't see yours??Can you poke thru my thick skin and give me a clue?  Is it "wishing that I would die (too much pain can do that, am I right?)".   I dunno... You haven't struck me as a wiggly, squiggly, squirmy PC type person.   Uhhh - 'am I right?'    Smiley Wink

0 Kudos
2,685 Views
12
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@wilful wrote:

@Epster wrote:

Woot! So far survived 65 miles on the bike this week! And for not feeling achy, or wishing that I would die (too much pain can do that, am I right?), I am grateful!

...

Edit:

Back to rephrase this, and to apologize for the insensitivity reflected in my words above. I'd like to blame the microbrews we had at bike ride's end, but I'm the one who drank 20 ounces of dark beer, so I'm to blame, yah? Yah. OK.

 

I'm grateful to have gotten into good enough shape this summer so that 2 long bike rides (not to mention other workouts and 3 mile walks) in a week didn't phase me. Hurrah! Hard work pays off!

 

 


Perhaps my "insensitivity" is too great to recognize yours - but I just don't see yours??Can you poke thru my thick skin and give me a clue?  Is it "wishing that I would die (too much pain can do that, am I right?)".   I dunno... You haven't struck me as a wiggly, squiggly, squirmy PC type person.   Uhhh - 'am I right?'    Smiley Wink


Heh, heh, left to my own devices I'm generally a Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robot. (Once a tom boy...) That said, I do have an awareness that not everyone on this forum was able to turn lemons into lemonaide, while still others had the bully that sometimes is life knock over their lemonaide stand and steal their cashbox. So. Some people might be facing a close by death.  They may not have seen the lightheartedness in my initial words. 

 

Gonna go kick a bunny now. (jk)

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,682 Views
11
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I am grateful to be in a marriage that allows, nay expects, me to grow as a human being. I am grateful for a mate who is secure enough to allow me to keep reinventing myself. 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,682 Views
10
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@Epster wrote:

I am grateful to be in a marriage that allows, nay expects, me to grow as a human being. I am grateful for a mate who is secure enough to allow me to keep reinventing myself. 


     I'm still waiting for DW to reinvent herself as a pole dancer...........................


"...Why is everyone a victim? Take personal responsibility for your life..."
0 Kudos
2,696 Views
9
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Grateful to have quickly found a buyer for this bike. One step closer to the Catrike Expedition! Woot!

 

Buh Bye, Old Bike!

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,675 Views
7
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I am grateful for a relaxing morning at the salon, for my monthly manicure & pedicure!

 

@Epster - I looked up the Catrike Expedition; what will it feel like, going from a bike that has 2 rear wheels, to one with 2 front wheels? Does it feel different, balance-wise? It also looks like with your current bike, your feet are directly in front of you on the pedals, but with the Catrike, you've actually got your feet higher than your body to pedal, and the pedals are in front of the wheels. Your current bike has conventional handlebars, but not the Catrike .. what do you hold onto/do with your hands? the Catrike must have a totally different center of gravity, with a shorter wheelbase!


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
0 Kudos
2,900 Views
4
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


 

@epster - I looked up the Catrike Expedition; what will it feel like, going from a bike that has 2 rear wheels, to one with 2 front wheels? Does it feel different, balance-wise? It also looks like with your current bike, your feet are directly in front of you on the pedals, but with the Catrike, you've actually got your feet higher than your body to pedal, and the pedals are in front of the wheels. Your current bike has conventional handlebars, but not the Catrike .. what do you hold onto/do with your hands? the Catrike must have a totally different center of gravity, with a shorter wheelbase!

 

____

Topic moved over here: https://community.aarp.org/t5/Diet-Exercise/Catrike-Expedition-tadpole-style-trike-versus-Sun-EZ-3-T...

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
0 Kudos
2,945 Views
3
Report
Silver Conversationalist

What a cool contraption that is!  Have never seen such a thing - and I live in SoCal!   I may have to get me one! 

 

Am wondering - Do you wear a helmet?  While in Denver a few months ago - we noted that even the motorcycle riders did not wear helmets.  Here in Ca - all motorcycle riders must wear helmets,  and minors must wear them even on bycycles.

0 Kudos
2,980 Views
2
Report
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Users
Need to Know

NEW: AARP Games Tournament Tuesdays! This week, achieve a top score in Atari Centipede® and you could win $100! Learn More.

AARP Games Tournament Tuesdays

More From AARP