Giving Thanks is Good for Your Health

11/16/2013

Research suggests that maintaining an "attitude of gratitude" can improve one's mind (psychological being), heart (emotional being) & body (physical being).

Grateful people have: more energy, more positivity, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.

Researchers are finding that an "attitude of gratitude" has similar benefits in children and adolescents too. Kids who are thankful tend to be less materialistic, get better grades, set higher goals, complain of fewer headaches and stomach aches, and are happier with their friends and families.

Take the 30 day challenge:

Spend time at the end of each day or at some time during the day to thank the Lord for 5 blessings in your life (people, events, activities, characteristics of God's nature, creation, etc.).

Notice how your "attitude of gratitude" affects your mind, heart & body.
What are you experiencing? What changes do you see?

*****Complete the following form to commit to taking the 30 day challenge of an "ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"! Enter the date you will begin the challenge...following 30 days, you will receive an email to complete a follow-up questionnaire, if you choose to participate.*****

1 Comment

Kristen Tschida

My loves in life: Spending time in the prayer room; reading & teaching God's Word; my husband; my kids; my little loves; biking & running; being with family & friends

My dislikes in life: Cooking; winter; technology issues

Favorite places: home (in my office or "secret place"); prayer room; Arizona; the beach in Florida (near my daughter)

Favorite things for parents:
I can teach my child~ helping you to be your child's first teacher
Eduplace~ outline maps for projects or prayer room activities
Joshua Project~ ideas for praying for the unreached people groups with your kids
Ministry to Children~ Free Bible coloring pages
Kids of Courage~ Raising awareness to the persecution going on in the world
Moral Revolution~ Encouraging a generation to walk in purity
Loving of Purpose Life Academy~ How to become safe & powerful in life and relationships

What's Next Tribe

Our "little loves"!!!

My sister and I in Madison, WI~ Badger country!

35 years of marriage. On our way to celebrate with a trip to Vail!

Family summer vaca!

Drew link

11/16/2013 01:05:21 pm

Absolutely love this!! My psychology side is just all sorts of happy right now!! Giving thanks indeed is good for your health and all sorts of aspects of your life. Studies find over and over that people who have a positive outlook on life (in essence are thankful) have better outcomes, more friends, are more successful, etc. etc. The list literally goes on and on. Obviously even for thankful people there are problems in life. But for people who are not thankful, I wonder- are the problems there because the person wasn't thankful without the problems? I think that, in part, it is true. We bring more problems in our lives by not being thankful. It doesn't rule out every problem or storm we will weather, but it certainly can prevent a lot of them. Maybe if the Israelites in Exodus had been a little more thankful they wouldn't have wasted so much time in the wilderness.

People who are thankful literally open themselves up for a new dimension. They open themselves up to blessing and prosperity. A verse that is passed around in Christian circles a lot that is both highly quoted and highly misunderstood is Romans 12:2-

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Renewing our mind. Being thankful. Everyone knows the outcome but few know how to achieve it. It's not about trying to change your thought patterns or meditating on the latest and greatest self-help strategy. It's not trying to force yourself to believe something. It's not listening to some sermon or reading more scripture. A lot of those things can help, but they do not directly renew the mind.

What renews the mind is changing behavior. Changing behavior is a lot easier than changing our thoughts and it is a lot more effective at getting good outcomes for our lives. Changing our behavior- giving thanks more- can change our thoughts (we trust God more, we are ready and apt to believe His word) and it changes our feelings (we feel happier, we feel more at rest). And perhaps most importantly it changes our outcomes. Changing your feelings won't change the world around you. Changing your thoughts won't change the world around you. But changing your actions will. It will make things easier and will lead to a better life.

So the next time you have a problem in your life, look at changing your actions and behaviors first. And then see the results of your thoughts, feelings, and outcomes.

Thanks Kristen!! I'm looking forward to this 30 day challenge of giving thanks. :)

Giving Thanks is Good for Your Health

I'm committing to the 30 day challenge!

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