Gratitude: the Surprising Solution to Better Health

Did you know that gratitude can have a tremendous impact on your health? A recent study, titled “The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-Being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients,” found that it plays an important part in overall well-being.

The study found that being thankful helped improve the health of heart disease patients.

This has wider implications, and researchers believe it can help anyone. So, you don’t have to be a heart disease patient to benefit from showing gratitude to others. Anyone can be thankful and see improvements in their health.
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Try these strategies to use gratitude to benefit your health:

1.   Understanding the heart of gratitude. Being thankful is an important part of staying healthy.

• Do you show your gratitude when it matters?

• Do the people in your life feel you appreciate them? Have you told them how much you enjoy the things they do?

• Being grateful may require a conscious effort. It’s important to start noticing your thought processes and how you react to various situations.

2.  How to show gratitude to your loved ones. The people who are closest to you need to know you appreciate them.

• You can begin to show gratitude by thanking them for a specific action.

• You can also show your thoughtfulness by doing small things for them and making their lives easier.

• Sharing your time is important. Offer to do something your loved ones may enjoy. This will show you care and pay attention to their lives. It also shows you want to help.

• Everyone loves compliments, so give them out frequently with love.

3.  How to show gratitude to your coworkers. They spend hours with you and need to know you appreciate them.

• Send thank you notes to your coworkers to show them you care.

• Show your gratitude by bringing them lunch or offering to buy it for them.

• Sometimes just listening to your coworkers can be a good way to show your gratitude.

• Bring flowers to work to brighten your coworkers’ day.

4.  How to show gratitude for yourself. Recognize the great things that are happening in your life and be thankful for them each day.

• Sometimes making a simple list of all the positive and good things in your life can start you on the path to gratitude.

• Remember to give yourself compliments, too!

• Thinking about the positive things you have done for others can help you see how you impact the world.

5.  How to show gratitude to strangers. You may not know their name or life story, but the strangers you meet throughout the day can also benefit from gratitude.

• Does the person who makes your coffee stand next to a tip jar? You can make a generous tip and help brighten their day. You can also point out something they have done well.

• You don’t have to know your servers’ names to be grateful. You can thank them, compliment them, and share something positive.

6.  And of course, don’t forget to express your gratitude to Spirit (Divine, God, Creator, Allah, Universe…)

• A simple prayer of giving thanks,  before you go to bed or before you start the day (anytime during the day, really),  count your blessings, give thanks for the blessing about to come.  

Gratitude is an important part of life, and showing it to others can help strengthen your health. It’s crucial to note the positive things occurring every day. There are many ways to be thankful, so you can share the joy with others.