KENT COUNTY, Mich — KENT COUNTY, Mich.,-- It's the Thanksgiving season, and many of us are more focused on what we're thankful for. But what if we used the power of gratitude for good all year long?
Dr. David Rzeszuto of Priority Health said practicing gratitude can have measurable effects on the body and mind, including improved mood, better sleep, and lower stress.
"We recognize that we're all going to experience adversity in our days, or we're going to have challenges, but trying to find the positive in those," he explained. "That cycle of positivity can really be life-changing."
It starts with being mindful and taking time to reflect on "the good" each day.
"When we are approaching things from a positive outlook, we're actually changing the brain chemistries. So the hormones that are actually controlling our mood relate to the limbic system, so the serotonin and the dopamine, they can change those levels when we are a more positive person.”
Positivity can also pay off when it comes to combating cortisol, the stress hormone.
"When we're moderating that in the body, physiologically, that has a very positive effect. So it's going to thing do things like lower blood pressure. It's going to reduce cardiovascular event rate. So, it really will translate into the mind controlling the body."
Dr. Rzeszuto also offered these tips:
*Gratitude Journaling- each morning and night, jot down three things (big or small) that you're grateful for. You can also keep track in your phone.
*Express Gratitude Out Loud- tell someone you appreciate them or send a text to say "Thank you".
*Gratitude Reflection- pause and reflect when something good happens. Ask yourself, "What is it about this moment that makes me grateful?"
*Gratitude Reminders- set a reminder for yourself of what you're grateful for, in your phone or on a sticky note
*End of Day Rewind- before bed, replay the day and reflect on the good moments.
"It really trains your day to end your day with positivity, which is again putting you to sleep well so you awaken restored and starting your day out on a positive note, getting out of bed on the right foot, and that will set your day up for success," Dr. Rzeszuto said. "These bits of information, we hope translate into folks living their best life."
You can find resources from Priority Health here.
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