Counting Your Blessings- A Therapeutic Benefit.
December 2nd, 2008Courtesy of Validus…
Times are difficult. It is easy to spend time focusing on the negative and even easier to forget to be grateful for the blessings we do enjoy. The recent global economic crisis is no doubt affecting most of us financially, but how it affects our well-being is a choice we make. For instance, I know children living in villages in the mountains of Honduras. Their parents have no 401(k) plans, no credit cards, no mortgages and no health insurance premiums. Yet these children are more content and joyful than most any children I have seen. Perhaps having nothing to lose makes them appreciate the little they have. Conversely, with so much to lose we forget to appreciate the things (and people) we have.
Expressing gratitude is also therapeutic. Studies have shown that individuals who intentionally express gratitude have a measurably higher well-being. Gratitude and generosity together have been linked with reducing stress, improved coping skills and decreased depression. Expressions of gratitude and generosity even affect those witnessing the act of kindness. Interestingly, women find it easier than men to show (and receive) gratitude.
Showing expressions of gratitude also changes our perspective on material wealth. In this season where the pressures of material giving are being restrained by financial pressures, consider giving the gift of gratitude to those you care about the most. Perhaps that will allow us to send just a little help to those kids in Honduras, or across town, who have nothing to lose.
Articles of Interest:
- Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Feb;84(2):377-89.
- Gratitude and subjective well-being in early adolescence: Examining gender differences. J Adolesc. 2008 Aug 27.
- Positive couple interactions and daily cortisol: on the stress-protecting role of intimacy. Psychosom Med. 2008 Oct;70(8):883-9.