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Being grateful can mean the difference between good health and poor health.

“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart” Roy T Bennett

Despite our recent holiday centered on giving thanks, more than a few people in our country might be feeling a little down and discouraged with the current state of affairs. During times of unhappiness and grief, it is more important than ever to remember all the good things in our lives and take a moment to inhale all that is good and exhale anything negative. After all, the things you might be unhappy about or take for granted might be the thing that someone else is praying they could have. We are all incredibly lucky and research shows it could benefit our health when we focus on the good rather than the bad.

Being grateful is good for your health. When we are grateful over time, we feel happier, less stressed and as we covered in our last blog, stress plays a negative role when it comes to the microbiome. In return, the health of our microbiome can affect our mood and susceptibility to depression.

Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

“,,,In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships…”^1*

When we feel gratitude, we experience a thankful appreciation for what we have received in our lives and this can be physical or intangible. We acknowledge goodness. In so doing, we usually recognize that the source of that goodness comes in some part from something greater or outside of our selves. This in turn helps us to connect to a power greater than ourselves whether it is other people, nature, or a higher power.^1*.

“….Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for future abundance…”

-Eckhart Tolle

In a study regarding gratitude performed by psychologists Dr. Robert A. Emmons of UC Davis and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, they asked participants to write a few sentences every week which focused on one of three topics…one, the things they were grateful for during the past week, two, daily irritations or things they didn’t like and thirdly, events that had made an impression on them, good or bad. At the end of 10 weeks, the participants who wrote about gratitude reported feeling better about their lives and felt more optimistic, exercised more and had fewer doctor visits, as opposed to those who focused on sources of negativity and aggravation.^1*

Similar studies demonstrated that employees whose managers showed gratitude towards them with a simple “thank you” worked harder, and in relationships where partners showed gratitude for each other, they got along better and worked out their problems better.^1*

In other research, studies have shown that those who are more grateful reported fewer health problems such as digestive issues to include stomach aches, headaches, respiratory infections, and they slept better. But there is the question, are grateful people healthier or are healthier people more grateful? ^2*

In case you are having a hard time feeling grateful after such a very difficult year, know that you are not alone. According to a new national survey from the American Psychological Association, stresses from COVID-19 as well as stress related to the economy, health care, racism, and the presidential election are taking a major toll on the mental health of our country, and sadly, it is affecting our youngest generation the hardest. A recent Harris Poll reveals that nearly 8 in 10 adults or 60% say that the Covid-19 pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives while “…3 in 5 (60%) say the number of issues America faces is overwhelming to them…”²*

For the younger generations it is even worse…”…By generation, 34% of Gen Z adults report worse mental health, followed by Gen X (21%), millennials (19%), boomers (12%) and older adults (8%). Gen Z adults are the most likely to report experiencing common symptoms of depression, with more than 7 in 10 noting that in the prior two weeks they felt so tired that they sat around and did nothing (75%), felt very restless (74%), found it hard to think properly or concentrate (73%), felt lonely (73%), or felt miserable or unhappy (71%)…”^3*

During this pandemic, our current generation of kids has had to make sacrifices that the rest of us haven’t had to make. Things such as giving up social interaction with their friends, in-person schooling where socialization takes place, graduations, and proms. Even the simple act of spending time with their friends has changed. Compound this with the toxic political environment they are witnessing, the negative behavior of adults around them, social media and the uncertainty of their futures. This is truly a recipe for a very unhappy group of young people.^3*

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining. It bores everyone else, does you no good and doesn’t solve any problems…” Zig Ziglar

So next time you feel like complaining or whining or fighting or criticizing or can’t remember what is good in your life, take a pause and be grateful for even the smallest things. Do your part to add positivity to the world and not negativity. We all need a boost, especially the young people and if we can’t come together and be happy, then this negative cycle will most likely continue.

“If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Be grateful. Do it for yourself, those around you, and most importantly your health!

From all of us at Body Biotics™, Int’l, Corp., we hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful to you!

Healthiest wishes,

Kelli

www.bodybiotics.com

Resources:

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier#:~:text=In%20positive%20psychology%20research%2C%20gratitude,adversity%2C%20and%20build%20strong%20relationships.
2. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_gratitude_good_for_your_health
3. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/10/stress-mental-health-crisis