Express gratitude, your heart will thank you
- Laurie Sidle, OSU Extension Wayne Co.
- November 27, 2024
- 523
It’s been a couple of months since my family returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon and some other national parks along the way, and I’m still savoring the grandeur and beauty of it all. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but the time spent with my husband, grown children and daughter-in-law was priceless. I conveyed that to them while we waited for our flight back to Ohio. I was thankful for all aspects of the trip.
It’s important to express our gratitude to others. I hope you were able to do that this Thanksgiving. The goodness of gratitude goes a long way.
When we practice gratitude, it becomes a powerful health habit. That means we go beyond the simple thank you and live each day with thanks, focusing on the positives of our lives. An attitude of gratitude is good for the soul and helps the heart too.
Researchers have discovered heart rhythms change with different emotions, according to a November health update sent to Ohio State University employees. Unpleasant feelings like frustration, anger and anxiety create incoherent (irregular and jagged) heart rhythms.
Pleasant feelings, like gratitude, joy, care and love, create coherent heart rhythms. These rhythms are highly ordered and look like smooth harmonious waves. Coherent rhythms from the heart tell the brain, “All is well,” which then signals the rest of the body to shift into a more relaxed and resilient state.
Here are some of the other benefits of gratitude:
—Reduces stress and promotes resilience.
—Improves emotional well-being.
—Helps us feel hopeful and take more hopeful actions.
—Helps us see resources and possibilities instead of problems.
—Strengthens relationships and helps others feel appreciated.
—Increases prosocial actions like collaboration and kindness.
Finding reasons to be grateful at any given moment is a practice that helps us live in a state of acceptance and peace. This, in turn, provides more of the benefits that come with gratitude.
At times when you may not be feeling grateful, you have the power to change that, according to an article by Harvard Health Publishing. These are questions you can ask yourself to get your gratitude flowing:
—What happened today that was good?
—What am I taking for granted that I can be thankful for?
—Who in my life am I grateful for?
—What is the last book I read or movie, show or social media clip I saw that I really appreciated and why?
—What is the kindest thing someone has said or done lately?
Writing a thank-you note or letter of gratitude also is helpful because it allows you to focus on something positive. You think about the words you want to say, then put them in writing.
Another valuable gratitude practice the article mentioned is a savoring exercise, which uses mindfulness techniques. In this exercise you take a moment to pause, look around you and find things you can appreciate. Use your breath to anchor yourself in the present moment and find what is good. To guide you, move through your senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.
At the end of this exercise, carry this attitude of gratitude with you.
Your heart will love you for it.
Laurie Sidle is an Ohio State University Extension family and consumer sciences educator and 4-H program assistant and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or sidle.31@osu.edu.