This is an essay from the 18 April edition of Daily Health News that I
found interesting, and of likely use in our work with students...enjoy.
Say "Thank You" and You'll Feel Better
Recently I attended an extremely moving concert when Tony award-winning
actress and singer Bernadette Peters decided to go on with the show just
three weeks after losing her husband in a tragic accident. She concluded
with an old Irving Berlin classic that offered this advice: When you can't
sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep.
While gratitude has long been the subject of songwriters and the faithful,
recently it has also made its way into the lexicon of health. According to
Joan Borysenko, PhD, author of Inner Peace for Busy People (Hay House -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401902146/blpnet/002-8746023-0786459
), gratitude is not just some abstract, sentimental notion -- it is a
concrete practice, philosophy and approach to life that can improve your
physical and mental health.
Living With Gratitude
At the University of California at Davis, researchers are looking more
closely at gratitude and its implications for our health and overall sense
of well being. Not surprisingly, they have found that those who practice
an attitude of gratitude are less anxious and less depressed and they
experience less physical discomfort.
Fortunately, it's very easy to incorporate gratitude into your own life.
Dr. Borysenko recommends...
Keep a gratitude journal. In comparison with those who write about
negative or even neutral life events, UC Davis researchers find that
people who keep regular gratitude journals exercise more regularly...
experience fewer physical symptoms... are more optimistic about the
upcoming week... more likely to attain their personal, academic,
interpersonal and health-based goals... and feel better as a whole.
Set aside a moment each day to think of several things for which you are
grateful. Anything is fair game -- it could be your family, your health, a
recent promotion or just the fact that it's a sunny day and the flowers
are blooming. Compared with those who focus on the negative aspects of
their lives, researchers note that people who practice daily gratitude
experience higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination,
attentiveness and energy. They also spread the good feelings to others by
being more likely to extend a helping hand to those in need.
GIVING THANKS
With all the challenges that face us in the world today, it's tough to
stay positive. Still, simple things like the smile on your child's face,
dinner with good friends or a warm cozy bed are all reminders that there
is much to be grateful for. Thanks are not just for Thanksgiving...
maintaining your focus on the good in life and truly appreciating it can
give you a physical, psychological and spiritual lift year-round.
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
Best regards,
Robert
Robert J. Chapman, PhD
Coordinator, AOD Program
Associate Faculty, Clinical/Counseling Psychology
La Salle University
1900 W. Olney Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19141-1199
Phone: 215-951-1357 Fax: 215-951-1451
mailto:chapman_at_lasalle.edu
home page http://www.robertchapman.net
Visit The Network newsletter, "News From the Front" -
http://thenetworkws.blogspot.com/
Received on 04/18/06
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