As we wind down 2017, it is a good time to pause and reflect on what you are grateful for. With Fall into Happiness it's a great time to think about why expressing gratitude is so important to your health and wellbeing. It turns out that expressing gratitude can uplift your mood and help increase happiness.1,2 This can set off a chain of positivity. Boosting your bliss helps you make better choices about your health, and making better choices about your health can lead to what? Ding-ding! Yes, weight loss.3
This is all great news, but how do you get into the swing of gratitude? Is it at the dinner table before you enjoy your meal or during family gatherings? Is it possible to keep this good feeling going all the time? The idea behind making it a regular routine, like the “Three Good Things” technique, is that the more we do it, the more we reap the benefits. The technique brings mindfulness into your day — taking in the good that happened and zeroing in on it, rather than focusing on the negativity and stressors in your life.
How does it work? Check out what one of our members is talking about on Connect:
#threegoodthings
1. Good conversation with hubby!!
2. Just felt good about myself all day.
3. Had points to spare so I put 1 tsp of BUTTER on my baked spaghetti squash! So so yummy!!
"I just want to say that relaxing at night and reading the Connect posts just makes my day! You all are inspiring, funny, determined, strong, creative, and the list goes on!! Keep on keepin’ on!!!"
This fall, we’re encouraging you to regularly write down what you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s the friendly faces in your support system that help you understand that you can take on the week no matter what the scale said. Perhaps it’s the amount of pride you have when you are more energetic after a morning walk. Think about the little things and the big feelings they give you!
Let’s Fall into Happiness and be grateful year round!
1 Yoshimura SM, Berzins K. Grateful experiences and expressions: the role of gratitude expressions in the link between gratitude experiences and wellbeing. Review of Communication. 2017;17(2):106-118.
2 Wood AM, et al. Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2009;66(1):43-48.
3 Boehm JK and Kubzansky LD. The heart’s content: the association between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. Psychological Bulletin 2012;138(4):655-691