Gratitude is Good for the Brain
Thanksgiving Dinner may threaten to put us into a “food coma,” but true gratitude can turn it all around. Counting our blessing, or expressing our gratitude is actually a wonderfully selfish thing to do! It increases the chemicals in the brain that give us a sense of well-being and it decreases those nasty stress hormones. Expressing gratitude can help with depression, help us sleep better and make us feel more connected to those around us. Perhaps surprisingly, the beneficial effects seem to last for months afterward.
In her Thanksgiving article, Dr. Sara Gottfried suggests writing down your 4 Gs every day.
- Gratitude list: What I am grateful for
- Good things that happened in the past 24 hours
- Glitches that occurred, and
- Goals for the next 24 hours
We have so many things to be grateful for, but our partners, clients, friends, and supporters and at the very top of the list. Happy Thanksgiving!
