by Bonnie Freitas, L.Ac

Today’s world offers constant access to information and the media, making it easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious by unfortunate events and overall negativity. If left unchecked, the continued exposure to bad news can start to interfere with our recognition of the good.

A useful tool to combat the negativity is practicing daily gratitude. In recent years, many studies have concluded the benefits to both mental and physical health by simply recognizing, verbalizing and/or demonstrating gratitude. Positive outcomes from these studies show decreased levels of anxiety and depression, better sleep, stronger relationships (romantic, workplace and familial) and better heart rate variability, “What impresses me are the objective, biologically verifiable outcomes that go beyond self-report measures,” Dr. Emmons said. For example, gratitude has also been associated with lower blood pressure, and, in one pilot study, higher levels of heart rate variability, a marker of well-being.”

The month of November brings two holidays for us to start practicing gratitude: Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving. While many will argue that food is the best part of Thanksgiving, I would wager it’s not the only reason the holiday is so loved. It’s one of the few days where we are expected to reflect on how fortunate and thankful we are for what we have. Similarly, Veteran’s Day gives us the chance to thank others for their service to our country. 

Outside of the holidays, how can we incorporate gratitude practices into our daily rhythm? They don’t have to be time-consuming, and can be done with or without pen and paper. A few ideas for implementing gratitude:

• Upon waking in the morning, silently think of three people (or animals), things or opportunities you’re grateful for. For example, “I’m grateful for being able to walk my dog in the morning.”

• At night, reflect on an event from your day that brought you joy. Write it down in a gratitude journal or in a jar.

• Make it a point to verbally express gratitude to at least one person in your life: your partner, a co-worker, a friend or a family member. For example, “Thanks for always making me coffee in the morning.”

You can be creative with how you incorporate gratitude but the key is to make sure it’s done daily. Once you start, make a note on your calendar to check in with yourself two weeks later. How’s your sleep, mood, appetite, pain level, etc.? Consider gratitude one of life’s cheapest but most effective medicinals.