Thanksgiving - more than just a Holiday
18/11/14 12:37
Gratitude: ’Tis a gift to be thankful
As the holiday approaches, here are some interesting thoughts about giving thanks. These were gleamed from an article in Esperanza.
“An appreciation for what you have makes it easier not to worry about what you don’t have,” says Patrick, 60. “This helps me acknowledge value to my life, and recognize the really positive aspects, which provides a calming effect…. It makes dealing with my [mental health] issues not so stressful.”
There was a time when feeling appreciative of anything seemed out of reach.
Patrick, who lives in the St. Louis area, grappled with undiagnosed depression for years before he found effective recovery tools through a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) program. That’s where he learned about the power of gratitude.
Every day he makes a point of noting something for which he is grateful, even if it seems small and simple. Sometimes he makes an alphabet list: He comes up with something for “A” (a good apple), then “B” (a meaningful book), and down the line.
“I now understand that I have a lot to be grateful for because there is a lot of good in my life,” he explains.
In one 2008 study, British researchers concluded that gratitude has a strong association with well-being and social functioning, and a person’s measure of gratitude can predict life satisfaction. In a subsequent study, they also found that people who score higher on gratitude measures tend to sleep better.
An analysis of Swiss adults, published in January 2013 in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, linked “dispositional gratitude” (translation: a general “attitude of gratitude&rdquo
to better physical health, in part because of better psychological health.
click on the Esperanza logo below for the full article.
As the holiday approaches, here are some interesting thoughts about giving thanks. These were gleamed from an article in Esperanza.
“An appreciation for what you have makes it easier not to worry about what you don’t have,” says Patrick, 60. “This helps me acknowledge value to my life, and recognize the really positive aspects, which provides a calming effect…. It makes dealing with my [mental health] issues not so stressful.”
There was a time when feeling appreciative of anything seemed out of reach.
Patrick, who lives in the St. Louis area, grappled with undiagnosed depression for years before he found effective recovery tools through a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) program. That’s where he learned about the power of gratitude.
Every day he makes a point of noting something for which he is grateful, even if it seems small and simple. Sometimes he makes an alphabet list: He comes up with something for “A” (a good apple), then “B” (a meaningful book), and down the line.
“I now understand that I have a lot to be grateful for because there is a lot of good in my life,” he explains.
In one 2008 study, British researchers concluded that gratitude has a strong association with well-being and social functioning, and a person’s measure of gratitude can predict life satisfaction. In a subsequent study, they also found that people who score higher on gratitude measures tend to sleep better.
An analysis of Swiss adults, published in January 2013 in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, linked “dispositional gratitude” (translation: a general “attitude of gratitude&rdquo
to better physical health, in part because of better psychological health.click on the Esperanza logo below for the full article.