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Saying "Thank You" Improves Your Health. How To Start Your Gratitude Practice

Author:

Elizabeth Inglese

January 03, 2017

Former mbg Deputy Editor

By Elizabeth Inglese

Former mbg Deputy Editor

Elizabeth Inglese is a writer living in San Fransisco, California. She earned her bachelor’s in english literature and cultures from Brown University and her master's in writing from The University of Southern California. She's the former Deputy Editor of mbg, and has also worked for Vogue, Architectural Digest, Bon Appetit, and Good Magazine covering food, health, and culture.

Photo by Stocksy / mbg creative

January 03, 2017

Manifest the year of your dreams by going inward. Renew You 2017 is a month of mindfulness during which we’ll share content that guides you to create a deeply rooted intention for the new year. We’ll help you navigate inevitable obstacles with the latest science on habits, motivation, ritual, and more and equip you with tried-and-true techniques to outsmart even the toughest inner critic.

Here at mbg, we're big practitioners of gratitude. It's the key to enjoying the gifts in life and surviving the challenges that come your way. Dr. Lawrence Rosen rounded up some of the many benefits of gratitude: In eight different studies, gratitude was shown to reduce feelings of depression. It worked best when people chose to think optimistically and reframe events and situations in a positive way. It lessens anxiety and can be helpful for those suffering from severe conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It improves sleep, which in turn has a positive impact on mood. And anxiety. And just about everything. It improves overall cardiac health, both indirectly through improving mood and attention to positive health behaviors like fitness and nutrition as well as directly through reduction in inflammation. It strengthens memory. For elderly adults, practicing gratitude was shown to improve their overall sense of well-being and quality of life. Introducing more gratitude into your life is a powerful way to pursue your goals in the new year without focusing negatively on what you lack.

Start your own gratitude practice

Sit and acknowledge how you feel in the moment. Don't pressure yourself to label your thoughts as anything other than they are.
Focus on the aspects of your life that bring you happiness. Hold them in your mind and say thank you for each item.
Focus on the struggles in your life. Say thank you for the unexpected gains they've led you to. Perhaps they've shown you your own strength or they've brought you closer to loved ones. Now say thank you for the hardships, themselves, not the silver linings. They may offer you gifts you've yet to uncover.
Sit in silence for five minutes, meditating on the words "Thank you."
If you feel yourself holding tension, thinking negatively, or overwhelmed by sadness during your day, return to the mantra "Thank you." Repeat the words to yourself slowly as you breathe deeply.