How Gratitude Can Improve your Health
Welcome back to Sage Space!
This week, my family and I enjoyed a casual summer dinner with my mom and some cousins, aunts, and uncles we don't see often and had to travel some distance. There were about 12 of us, gathered on a Monday night with simple burgers on the grill. Life gets so busy, and it's hard to plan these get-togethers, but we're all grateful for my sister, who, despite her own hectic schedule, has become the glue that keeps our extended family connected.
Thanking her and my family who traveled, and recognizing the value of these moments, made everyone feel good. In fact, gratitude can help reduce stress and keep us healthier. In this week's Sage Space, we'll dive into more ways gratitude can improve your life.
Have a great week!!
Cathy
Co-founder and CEO – Wisdom.io
cathy@mywisdom.io
This week…
We are highlighting the importance of gratitude. Here’s how expressing what you are thankful for can impact your life both mentally and physically.
Expressing Gratitude may help you live longer
Based on a recent study published by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, expressing gratitude can even help our physical health. Back in 2016, the study surveyed ~50,000 senior women with a six-question gratitude questionnaire asking them to provide scores to agree or disagree with statements such as “I have so much in life to be thankful for.” Four years later, professors had found that participants whose questionnaire scores showed the most gratitude had a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality over the following four years than those who scored in the bottom.
The Power of Journaling
Have you ever wondered why there is so much buzz around gratitude journaling? Research has found that listing three things you’re grateful for at the end of the day can relieve stress, improve your health, help you overcome adversity, and build greater hope (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Emmons, 2007).
In fact, even celebrities like Arianna Huffington, Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey all use a gratitude journal daily.
Gratitude opens the door to more relationships
Not only is saying “thank you” considered good manners, but showing appreciation to others can help you win new friends too, according to a study published in Emotion. This study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. So the next time you can thank a stranger for holding the door or you send a quick thank-you note to that colleague who helped you with a project, remember that sharing a quick element of gratitude can lead to new relationships.
Fun Fact!
A recent national survey polling over 2,000 Americans, found that work is the last place you’re likely to hear gratitude. Only 10% of people say thank you to their colleagues on any given day, and 60% of people never express gratitude at work.
So if you are working today – be sure to thank your peers!
Quote of the Day
“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” — Norman Vincent Peale
Enjoying Sage Space? Send this link to a friend, so they can join the Wisdom community: Newsletter Sign-Up