Gratitude as a Health Tool

Epster · ‎07-29-2015

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

tamerap735682 · ‎10-16-2017

I use gratitude in all facets of my life and encourage others to try and do the same. Being grateful for what I have rather than hateful for what I have not makes for a much happier me and you.

Epster · ‎10-16-2017

@tamerap735682 wrote:
I use gratitude in all facets of my life and encourage others to try and do the same. Being grateful for what I have rather than hateful for what I have not makes for a much happier me and you.

Hi @tamerap735682 and welcome to the online community.

I like your sense of gratitude and hope you'll post here often. 🙂

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-14-2017

Grateful for the opportunity to a.) help build a playground in an underserved community and b.) organize a group ride over a brand new local bike trail. Yes!

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-12-2017

Grateful for the senior athlete community. These people are true and total rock stars!

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-08-2017

Grateful for the power of goal setting.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-07-2017

Grateful for the road ahead.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-06-2017

Grateful for one last training ride up that @#$% steep hill. Or I will be once it's over, I guess. 🙂

Meanwhile I'll be grateful for mild weather in which to take the run at the hill.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-05-2017

Grateful to know who I am.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-04-2017

Grateful for a good night's rest; moonlight shining through the greenhouse and C O F F E E.More coffee? Yes, please.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-03-2017

Grateful for the opportunity to help build a playground.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-03-2017

Grateful for a view of snowcapped Rocky Mountain foothills.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-02-2017

Grateful for a brand new day, the beginning of a new week, the start of a fresh month, the possibility of everything. 🙂

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎10-01-2017

Grateful for the will to be actively seeking a healthier tomorrow. Maybe this, too, is a gene?

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-30-2017

Grateful for a support system. You know who you are. 🙂

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-29-2017

Grateful for birdwatching friends.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-28-2017

Grateful for free speech.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-24-2017

Grateful to have been able to get in a a 40-mile training ride before the rain began yesterday. Hoping for a redo today! Yes!

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-25-2017

Grateful that it is snowing up the hill this morning. Fall colors in snow? Beautiful.

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-26-2017

Grateful for trips to Rocky Mountain National Park. Especially this time of year.

Ho hum! Just another turn in the road at Rocky Mountain National Park. 🙂

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving

Epster · ‎09-27-2017

Grateful for the human spirit. (Looking at you, all you would-be championship cyclists who were rained out at the velodrome last night. Third time's the charm!)