Having 'attitude of gratitude' fosters better health

November has arrived, which means Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.

We enjoy additional time spent with family, lots of food, fellowship, football and always remembering the meaning behind Thanksgiving — to give thanks for the many blessings enjoyed by our nation and citizens.    

Though often lost in the arrangements and planning, many modern-day families forget the significance of Thanksgiving, thus, missing out on that gem in which our forefathers recognized when they instituted the holiday.

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving nowadays is often lost under the cloud of media hype, sales pitches and Black Friday discounts.

From a historical standpoint, it’s important to remember Thanksgiving was initially celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621.

It is a traditional English harvest festival that lasted three days and brought the Pilgrims and Native Americans together to unite in a “thanksgiving” observance.

Those key words, “observance" and "thanksgiving,” are essentially what the holiday is all about.

So, this year, remember those words; foster a thankful heart while creating an attitude of gratitude for the health of you and your family.

Interestingly enough, thoughts of gratitude support our mental health, while having a thankful heart may even protect your physical health.

A study done at the University of California, San Diego, found that those who tend to show gratitude have a healthier physical heart with less inflammation, healthier cardiac rhythm and lower blood pressure.

The practice of daily gratitude also improves the body’s immune system by creating more disease-fighting cells. 

Further, people who have a habit of being thankful tend to sleep better, age slower and have an easier time with weight loss.

An attitude of thankfulness tends to reduce stress hormones, including cortisol, while relieving inflammation throughout the body.

Perhaps it is for these reasons that grateful people also tend to have fewer aches and pains.

Habitual gratitude also tends to lead to healthier emotional health.

Research shows having an attitude of gratitude enhances positive emotions such as love, joy, contentment while reducing negative emotions like anxiety and depression.

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Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis has overseen multiple studies regarding the impact of gratitude on one’s quality of life.

Emmons found spending just 5 minutes a day writing down things one is genuinely thankful for can lead to great improvement on the outlook of life and mental health.

The longer one journals grateful thoughts, the bigger the improvements.

Clinically speaking, when you show gratitude, your brain puts out a burst of dopamine.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us feel good, triggering positive emotions, causing enhanced optimism while also fostering the desire for camaraderie.

Gratitude is certainly a part of spiritual health as well.

Thanksgiving is based on religion rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of our country, teaching that all things come from God, therefore, we are to be thankful for everything. 

Similarly, Christianity recognizes that God is the giver of all good things, and so thanksgiving is paramount.

Islam and Buddhism also teach it is important to have a grateful attitude.

In short, one thing these religions agree upon is that it is healthy for one’s spirit to be thankful.

It is no surprise the expression of gratitude also helps interpersonal relationships.

Studies show that the feeling of gratitude toward someone makes it easier to begin and maintain an enduring relationship.

There is evidence that relationships will be stronger if one feels appreciative; there is also evidence that expressing gratitude is even better.

To garner the biggest impact of expressing gratitude, studies show a “thank you!”  doesn’t necessarily result in as much of a benefit as giving details as to what you are thankful for.

In other words, if you want your relationships to grow, communicate in detail all the characteristics you appreciate.  

An attitude of gratitude is also very helpful on the job.

Just as gratitude leads to less stress in the body, it reduces stress in the workplace.

As a result, workers tend to feel better, work harder and meet deadlines more consistently.

A Harvard study found employees who received a gratitude-laden pep talk prior to soliciting donations made 50% more calls than a control group not given the talk.

Further, studies have shown gratitude tends to cause people to become more attentive to the needs of others, which enhances team building.

A supervisor who habitually shows appreciation to employees tends to have a better relationship with subordinates, better communication and improved workflow.  

Finally, gratitude is good for the culture.

Modern psychologists call gratitude a “moral barometer.”

It is called this for three reasons.

First, gratitude helps us recognize moral good.

Second, gratitude is a moral motivator as it causes us to act in positive ways toward others.

Third, gratitude is seen as a moral reinforcer; when shown appreciation, a benefactor is more likely to continue to perform helpful acts for other people.

This Thanksgiving, enjoy the extra time spent with family; your Thanksgiving meal, plenty of football, but most importantly, remember to truly give thanks for all your blessings while teaching your children to do the same.

Just think about how much healthier our culture will be if we all would work on cultivating a more positive outlook with an attitude of gratitude.

Mary Ulrich, MD, is a pediatrician with Pediatrics in Brevard, Melbourne. She received her medical degree from University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and has been practicing pediatric medicine for more than 20 years.