In his 1963 Thanksgiving proclamation, President John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
Research shows that gratitude is a quality we should not only celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November but also cultivate all year long. Two psychologists, Dr. Emmons and Dr. McCullough, did a study on gratitude in which one group of participants wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them. After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. They also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.
To get into the gratitude habit, for the next two weeks, “To Your Health” will focus on things to be thankful for, including the health benefits of social support and how hobbies help us achieve “flow.”
Resources:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude
https://www.krcu.org/post/your-health-gratitude-good-you#stream/0
