CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Thanksgiving or an Attitude of Gratitude As I write it is Thanksgiving in the USA. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year and commemorates the survival of the settlers of the Plymouth Plantation in 1621. They survived their first year there because of the help they received from the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans. They showed them how to catch eels and grow corn etc. To an outsider Thanksgiving seems to be an excuse for over consumption and excess, a bit like our Christmas really. Now I'm sure that there are people who take the time to give thanks just as there people who connect with the true spirit of Christmas. Attitude of Gratitude What I would like to suggest is that we get into the idea of giving thanks every day. Just spend a minute before you go to sleep reviewing your day and finding things to be grateful for. Magically, as you continue to do this you find more and more things to be grateful for. This will have dramatic improvements in the quality of your life. It works Studies has shown that people who express their gratitude daily are 25% happier and significantly healthier than those who don't-and doing it takes as little as a minute a day! The Benefits According to a long-term study on the power of gratitude by the University of California, practising gratefulness on a regular basis causes the following happy side-effects: Promotes Good Health You'll enjoy better physical and mental health, a better outlook on life, and you'll be more optimistic. Expressing gratitude is one of the fastest ways to pull yourself out of a slump. Inspires Success You'll be more likely to work towards your personal goals, more alert, enthusiastic, determined and attentive. Makes You a Better Person Your friends will see you as more generous and helpful, you'll be less envious of others, and you'll love helping others. Helps with a Good Night's Sleep Studies on expressing gratitude show that you'll sleep better at night, and feel more energetic during the day. So what are you grateful for today?

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