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How Gratitude is Beneficial to Your Health

A person practices gratitude by keeping a daily journal and starting each day with "Today, I am grateful for" handwritten at the top of the page with a pencil in the corner.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, you may be thinking about what you are thankful for. Whether it’s your family, friends, health, or career that brings you joy, remembering all the things you are grateful for has a variety of benefits for your physical and mental health.

It’s true! Practicing gratitude is an easy way to improve your mental health. In this post, our medical team at UAB Medical West explores the impact of gratitude on your overall health and well-being further and provides tips on how to be more grateful. 

How to Practice Gratitude

There are many ways to start being more grateful, including mindfulness meditation, which can enhance your well-being. Below, we highlight a few simple steps that you can take to practice gratitude more easily. 

1. Express Gratitude Towards Others

Expressing thanks is a way to show appreciation for the people and things in your life. You can write a letter to someone you’re thankful for, send a “thank you” note after receiving a gift, or visit them in person. 

If you are sharing a meal, like Thanksgiving dinner, with friends or family, you can ask each person at the table to share one thing they’re grateful for. This can further drive conversations about the role of gratitude in your lives.

2. Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation cultivates gratitude. When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, try focusing on your breath and the little things in life for which you are grateful. While there is no one way to meditate, this can focus your practice.  

It may be a good idea to consult with your physician before starting meditation, as they may have tips and advice on how you can stay focused during your practice. If you’re unsure how to start doing this, you can download a meditation app that offers guided exercises focusing on topics like gratitude. 

3. Write it Down

Studies show that writing something down helps you remember it better. This is especially the case when writing down what you’re grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal can help you remember what you are grateful for and meditate on it in the future. 

Another way is to write down things you are grateful for on pieces of paper and keep them in a jar. This gratitude jar can be a physical reminder of the good things in your life, even if what you are thankful for is not a tangible item. 

4. Give Back to Others

Giving back to your community can help you reflect on your circumstances and be grateful for what you have. Consider volunteering for a cause you are passionate about or donating to your favorite charity. 

During the holiday season, there are many opportunities to volunteer, especially in the greater Birmingham area. UAB Medical West has a variety of volunteer opportunities for those who may be interested, regardless of age or ability. 

The Benefits of Gratitude for Your Health

Gratitude offers various benefits for one’s overall health, which we will explore below. While this practice can enhance physical and mental health, your physician can help you determine how it can personally benefit you. Be sure to consult with them before implementing these practices into your lifestyle. 

Cardiovascular Health

Grateful thoughts can slow and regulate your breathing, which synchronizes it with your heartbeat, lowering both your heart rate and blood pressure. This provides a physical benefit to practicing gratitude beyond the mental health benefits we’ve already covered. 

At UAB Medical West, we recommend this practice, among others, to those who have experienced cardiac events as part of their rehabilitation program. To learn more about this programming, contact us today

Mental Health

Gratitude can benefit your mental health in many ways. While mostly known for its stress reduction benefits, gratitude can help manage mental health conditions like depression and anxiety by activating your nervous system. It can even be included as part of therapy or other psychiatric care.

Improved Sleep

Gratitude can even improve your sleep. Thinking about the things you are grateful for right before you go to bed can put you into the right mindset and physical state for sleeping. Poor sleep habits are linked to a variety of health issues, including heart disease, which makes this benefit of gratitude wide-reaching. A sleep specialist, like those at UAB Medical West, can help you determine if this practice is right for you. 

Practice Gratitude With UAB Medical West

Beyond your personal stress reduction habits, like practicing gratitude, UAB Medical West can help you manage your health with our various wellness programs. Many of these implement gratitude, mindfulness, and other related practices. To learn more about our health and wellness programming, contact us today.

Start Your Gratitude Journey at UAB Medical West

Practicing gratitude is a journey, as is maintaining your overall health. Along with reducing stress through meditation and other healthy habits, consulting with a physician, like those at UAB Medical West, can help you manage your health. Contact us today to learn more about our health and wellness programming.

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