Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.
A.A. Milne
The upcoming holiday season will no doubt be busy, stressful and sometimes difficult. In addition, this will be the 2nd holiday season we experience amid a pandemic. Given all this, it might be odd that I am talking about gratitude. However, this may be the BEST time to cultivate gratitude. When life throws us a curveball that it inevitably does- a health crisis, broken relationship, loss of a job-that is when it is MOST important for us to count our blessings. Expressing and sharing gratitude has been proven to improve our health-mentally and physically.
Living a grateful life can reduce stress and anxiety. It can improve our sleep patterns and help us accept change more easily. Developing the habit of recognizing the good that change brings leads to us being more flexible and accepting. Living a grateful life takes practice and conscious thought. The good news is that living a grateful life is FREE and can be done anytime, anywhere. While we brush our teeth-we can name 3 things we are grateful for. Before going to sleep, we can reflect on our day and express gratitude for something small that happened. We can thank a loved one who did something for us just because they love us.
Don’t forget when Ebenezer Scrooge realized his ghostly visits were not “an undigested bit of beef”, and led to a life of gratitude and happiness. As well as the Grinch’s “heart grew three sizes that day” most likely led to improved cardiovascular health because he experienced gratitude.
May you and your family have a grateful holiday season.