Hello wellness friends. Welcome back to the wellness inspired podcast, a place where you can find inspiration, motivation and empowerment in the pursuit of a wellness lifestyle. I'm your host, sherry Davidson. I'm a wellness coach and acupuncturist in Houston, texas, and I am deeply passionate about health and well-being. And, as always, I am here with my co-host, finn. If you're new to the podcast, finn is my terrier, mixed rescue dog, trail runner and loyal companion. He is also a therapy dog and greeter at element five acupuncture and wellness.

Speaker 1: 0:51

And we have a Thanksgiving special for you today. This episode, we will explore the transformative power of gratitude Beyond the holiday rush. This episode will discuss the scientific findings on how gratitude positively impacts mental and physical health, reduces stress, strengthens relationships and builds resilience. I'll also share practical tips for cultivating a grateful mindset, emphasizing the habit of expressing gratitude daily. So, as Thanksgiving approaches, I encourage you to make gratitude a centerpiece of the holiday celebration, providing a pathway to a healthier, more fulfilling life beyond the holiday season.

Speaker 1: 1:36

But before we get started, I am planning a European riverboat cruise in 2024. My friend, tammy Heroka, is a travel concierge. Her business is Fressy Travel. She is also a friend and she's been on the podcast before we talked about wellness travel. She is helping me plan this amazing adventure. I have yet to commit to a river. I know if you've been listening to the podcast. I've been saying this over and over. I have not committed yet, but I am planning to commit after the first of the year, but I am thinking of a seven night cruise on the Danube River. We would cruise through Austria, germany, hungary and Slovakia. There will be active sight seeing, so hiking, biking, maybe some running, if she can work that out. There will also be yoga, wellness talks, relaxing and locally sourced cuisine. So stay tuned for more details. I already have many people interested, so get ready to grab your spot. All right, let's do this.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Thanksgiving is here. Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is next Thursday. I cannot believe it, it is just. It just got here so quickly. And next Thursday is also my mom's birthday, so I would like to say happy birthday, mom. I love you and I can't wait to spend Thanksgiving with you on your birthday. She's one of my biggest fans, so I wanted to give her a shout out here. Happy birthday, mom.

Speaker 1: 3:09

Thanksgiving is not only my mom's birthday, but it is a time for turkey and pecan pie. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings in our lives and cultivate the powerful practice of gratitude. Now, how many of you go through the motions on Thanksgiving? There's always so much going on traveling, bustling kitchens, kids, last minute shopping, house guests, and the list goes on, and all the hustle and bustle. I encourage you this year to stop for a moment, fill and express genuine gratitude for all the positive and good things in your life. Why? Well, it feels good here. Try it on. Find one good thing happening now. I'll give you a moment to think. Now focus on that good thing. Be grateful for that thing in your life Now. Note how you feel and observe how your perspective shifts. It feels good right Now. I have some healthy news for you.

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Beyond the warm, fuzzy feeling associated with giving thanks, modern research has highlighted gratitude's profound impact on your overall health and well-being. Pretty cool, right. There was a study done in 2003. It was a Gratitude and Well-Being Study by Edmunds and it was titled Counting Blessings vs Burdens An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. So what did they find? Well, this study explored the impact of gratitude on subjective well-being. Participants who were instructed to cultivate gratitude experienced greater positive emotions, improved life satisfaction and a more positive outlook than the controlled group. The study suggested that consciously focusing on gratitude can enhance overall well-being.

Speaker 1: 5:13

Also, there is a woman by the name of Barbara Fredrickson. She is the author of a book called Positivity Discovered the Upward Spiral that Will Change your Life. Barbara is a professor of psychology and neurosciences and I'm currently reading this book. It is fascinating and it is all science-backed on the study of positivity. Now we're talking about gratitude today, but gratitude falls into that positivity and I'm going to do an episode once I finish the book and digest it and do a little more research. But this book gives you lab-tested tools necessary to create a healthier, more vibrant and flourishing life, which I find super interesting.

Speaker 1: 5:54

Barbara has listed six facts that she has found to be true in her scientific studies of positivity and I'm going to share those with you here and hopefully I'm not going to get into it anymore because I'm only halfway through the book, but hopefully soon I will do an episode on positivity and I will bring in. I use her book as a resource, as well as other research that I will do on positivity, so hopefully I will share that with you soon. So number one these are the six facts about positivity that she has found. Positivity feels good We've already talked about that. And number two positivity changes how your mind works. Three positivity transforms your future. Four positivity puts the brakes on negativity. Five positivity obeys a tipping point. And six you can increase your positivity, and that's what we're doing here today. So let's get into this and explore the remarkable benefits of gratitude and how to incorporate this practice into your daily life, because it can lead to a healthy, happier existence.

Speaker 1: 7:02

Okay, so I think it's important that we define what gratitude is, and according to the dictionary I don't remember which dictionary I got this out of but gratitude is the quality of being thankful, readiness to show appreciation and return kindness. That was out of the dictionary I think it might have been the Harvard dictionary or something so I'm going to read this to you. This is from the study on the meaning of gratitude, the study that I mentioned earlier with Emmons, and I'm just going to read this out of the study. But it says gratitude defies easy classification. It has been conceptualized as an emotion, an attitude, a moral virtue, a habit, a personality trait or a coping response.

Speaker 1: 7:55

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin root gratia, meaning grace, graciousness or gratefulness. All derivatives of this Latin root have to do with kindness, generousness, gifts and the beauty of giving and receiving are getting something for nothing. Now, that's a direct quote from the paper or from the study, and right now, before we get into what research has found, right now I want you to think of something that you're grateful. I know we did this in the beginning, but I want you to do it again and think of something that you are grateful for in your life and I want you to hold that thought in your mind while you're listening to this episode and after the episode. I want you to take note on how you feel. Again, I know you're going to feel warm and fuzzy, but just notice if there's anything else that's going on for you. If you have some observations, I would love to hear them, so feel free to reach out and share them with me. But we're gonna get into what the research shows and how expressing gratitude and incorporating that into your daily life, how it can improve your health and your wellbeing, and one of the first things that it does is it boosts mental health. That feel good, that fuzzy, fuzzy, feel good feeling. They have linked gratitude to improved mental health outcomes.

Speaker 1: 9:20

Studies show that people who regularly practice gratitude experience the levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Gratitude acts as a natural mood enhancer, fostering a positive outlook and reducing the impact of negative emotions. So taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate the positive aspects of life can contribute to better emotional wellbeing, and I think we could all use a little bit of that. It can also help build resilience. Life is full of challenges, and developing resilience is key to navigating its ups and downs. Gratitude can be a powerful tool in building resilience by shifting your focus from what you lack to what you have. When faced with adversity. Individuals who practice gratitude are better equipped to find meaning and perspective in difficult situations. This ability to reframe challenges positively can enhance your capacity to bounce back from setbacks and move forward with greater strength and determination, and I just love that. So research has found not only does it boost mental health, but it also can enhance your physical health. Really, yes, really.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Surprisingly, the benefits of gratitude expand beyond our emotional state and into the realm of physical health. Research indicates that grateful participants tend to engage in healthier behaviors, such as regular exercise and proper nutrition. Gratitude can reduce stress and stresses adverse effects on the body. Studies have found that participants who kept a gratitude journal reported lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, compared to those who did not engage in gratitude exercises. Lower cortisol levels are associated with reduced stress and better overall health, especially heart health. Also talking about the heart, practicing gratitude can lower blood pressure. The positive emotions associated with gratitude are linked to lower blood pressure, and this reduces your chance of heart disease. Another health benefit of gratitude is that it improves the immune function. Researchers discovered that participants who practiced gratitude had higher levels in immunoglobulin A, this antibody that plays a critical role in defending against infections. And what about sleep? Yes, researchers also found that people who spent just 15 minutes before bedtime dotting down things they're grateful for experienced better and more restful sleep. So start jotting Now.

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Not only does gratitude boost mental health, enhance physical health, but it also strengthens relationships. They found Gratitude plays a crucial role in fostering positive relationships. Expressing appreciation for the people around you strengthens your social bonds and contributes to a sense of community and connection. Gratitude is the social glue promoting empathy, understanding and cooperation. So, as you gather around the Thanksgiving table this year, express gratitude for the people in your life. It will deepen your connection and create a more harmonious Thanksgiving environment. Now, if being thankful benefits our health and well-being, how do we encourage gratitude that expands beyond the Thanksgiving table? Well, we practice it every day, and it all starts with cultivating a positive mindset. Gratitude is a magnifying glass for the positive aspects of our life.

Speaker 1: 13:01

Now, this doesn't mean that we don't have anything negative happen in our life, because that's unrealistic. We do. We all have negative things that happen. The idea here is that we focus on the positive. In Barbara Frederickson's book Positivity the one I was telling you I am in the middle of she has a mathematical answer for that and there is a positivity ratio of three to one. For every three good thoughts, you can have one negative thoughts. So we'll get into more of that at another time. I just wanted to throw that in there because I don't want anyone to think they have to walk around being positive all the time. It's unrealistic. We have things happen in our lives. We have moments where we are just negative, and that's okay. We need that negativity. So just know that you're not expected to be positive and walk around and beaming sunshine all the time, but by regularly acknowledging and appreciating the good things, big and small, we train our minds to focus on the positive. This shift in perspective can lead to a more optimistic outlook on life, helping us to approach challenges with a solution oriented mindset. And a positive attitude is associated with, again, all those health benefits, as well as increasing longevity and a higher quality of life. Gotta love that, all right. Well, let's wrap it up with some tips for cultivating a grateful mindset.

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It is believed that gratitude is an inherent trait, but it's just not expressed all the time. With intentional practice, it can involve into habitual and natural part of your life. So let's get moving on these. I'll give you a few. I have about four different tools or techniques that you can use to help you incorporate gratitude into your life, and the first one is write it down. Taking a few moments, either at night or in the morning, to jot down something positive that occurred can be a powerful gratitude exercise. So designate a dedicated notebook or journal specifically for gratitude, allowing you to revisit and reflect on these uplifting moments.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Another tool that you can use is to hit pause. Cultivate mindfulness around expressing gratitude by reframing your automatic thanks, so the next time you find yourself saying thanks, reflexively take a moment to pinpoint what you're thankful for in that particular situation. This goes back to the beginning, when I asked you how many of you go through the motions of Thanksgiving. You know you're in your groove making things happen, the kids are in order, the house is in order, the food is made, you have relatives coming in, or either you're flying out. It's just so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. But the simple pause just to sit back it can deepen your awareness of the positive elements in your life. When you say thanks this year, remind yourself what you're thankful for.

Speaker 1: 16:06

Another tool is to redirect your thoughts when faced with negativity or frustration throughout your day, consciously redirect your thoughts towards a positive aspect of the situation. By reframing your perspective, you can transform challenges into opportunities for gratitude, fostering a more optimistic outlook. And, last but not least, share your gratitude. Extend the practice of gratitude beyond personal reflection by expressing it to others. You can send a quick note to someone telling them why you appreciate them, or you could encourage your family to engage in a nightly ritual where each member shares something that they're grateful for during dinner. Sharing gratitude strengthens your connections with others and reinforces the positive aspects of your life. Okay, well, there you have it Some tips on cultivating a gratitude mindset, and I believe if you consistently integrate these practices into your daily routine, you can gradually shift your mindset towards gratitude, turning it from an occasional trait to a pervasive and enriching habit. And as you embrace these simple actions, focusing on the positive becomes second nature, contributing to an overall sense of well being and contentment.

Speaker 1: 17:29

Thank you for joining me on this special episode on gratitude. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, savor the delicious food and reflect on the many things we are grateful for, the benefits of gratitude extend far beyond a single day of celebration. They are a gift we can give ourselves daily. By embracing gratitude daily, we open the door to a healthier and more fulfilling life, one filled with positive emotions, stronger relationships and a resilient spirit. So let gratitude be the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving celebration, enriching your life in ways that extend far beyond the holiday season. Okay, well, I will wrap it up here by saying happy, happy Thanksgiving friends. Thank you so much for being here with me today. You could be anywhere, but you chose to be here. So thank you for spending the time with me, and I hope you leave today inspired to live a life of gratitude.

Speaker 1: 18:43

If you like what you hear. Please subscribe to the podcast and share with your family and friends. You can also give me a rating and review. Wherever you listen to your podcast, it helps others find me as well. To get updates on new episodes and wellness inspiration in your inbox, please join the wellness-inspired community. Go to the wellnessinspiredpodcastcom to sign up. I'll put the link to the website in the show notes so you can click and join. Also, there's a Facebook community at the wellnessinspired and you can follow me on Instagram at wellness underscore inspired.

Speaker 1: 19:15

If you're in the Houston area or just visiting and interested in our services acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, zinchiatsu or dry needling therapy contact us. You can find out more on our website at element5omcom. That's element5, the number five, omcom, and again, I'll put the link in the show notes. If you're interested in health and wellness coaching, we can connect in the clinic or on Zoom. Reach out to us and we'll get you on the schedule and, as always, I would love to hear your feedback. I am dedicated to bringing you great content that is inspiring and informative, with an artsy fun at GSPEN. Thank you so much for listening. We'll meet here again next time and remember never stop exploring, learning, loving and being you. Bye. Add more and more, add more, add, more and more.

The Wellness Inspired Podcast

The Transformative Power of Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Celebration of Health + Well-being

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