Thanksgiving is upon us - and offers a perfect time to take a gratitude retreat.
I know, I know - it sounds pretty hokey. But stay with me, just for a minute.
Turns out that counting your blessings is actually good for you (and yes, I do know that the family you may be spending Thanksgiving with may or may not be among your blessings...) Researchers have found that practicing gratitude will likely improve not only your mood, but also your resistance to illness, the quality of your sleep and your progress toward your goals!
Spiritual traditions have touted the practice of gratitude for millenia. And now studies by Robert Emmons, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, and others have provided scientific evidence to back up the anecdotal evidence. Even business schools (Graziadio School of Business and Management) and WebMD tout the benefits of an attitude of gratitude.
A simple way to practice gratitude is to take just 3-5 minutes on two or three evenings in the next week to write down what you are grateful for. List as many things as you can think of in the time you have allotted, or write in more depth about three things and why you are grateful for them.
If you find this practice helpful, continue it indefinitely, or whenever things don’t seem to be going your way.
For more on this subject, check out THANKS! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier (New York: Mariner Books, 2008) by Robert Emmons, PhD.
I am grateful that you are taking time to retreat! I am convinced that if we each took a One Hour Retreat once a week and 3-5 minute mini-retreats once or twice a week, the world would be a better place.
Happy Thanks-Giving!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
