The tradition of giving thanks during November began with the Pilgrims, giving thanks to God for survival and a plentiful food harvest. However, you do not need to be religious to experience the significance of gratitude.
“Gratitude is not just a positive sentiment, it is a mentality, a practice that can improve several areas of your life,” said Dustyn Shroff, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance, Florida’s leading independent healthcare insurance agency. Being thankful is beneficial to our physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Physical Benefits
Having an attitude of gratitude is proven to boost your immune system and lead to better sleep while contributing to higher energy levels and more exercise. WebMD reports that stress is linked to several leading causes of death including, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Stress is the result of 90 percent of all doctor visits. Being thankful can help people cope better with pressure on a daily basis. A University of Utah study showed that stressed out law students who were optimistic had more immune boosting blood cells than their pessimistic peers.
Bing Crosby sang, “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings,” there is some truth to the popular tune. Stress is also a culprit of sleep quality and restfulness. According to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences, grateful people were more likely to exercise more often and attend preventative check-ups with their doctors. These factors, along with quality health insurance are likely to contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Mental Benefits
Being thankful can contribute to a more optimistic outlook on life, less materialism, less self-centeredness and increased self-esteem. When you are thankful for what you have, you begin to starve the need for more in your life. When we get more, we seem to want more, which places us in a cycle of discontentment.
“Being thankful can cause you to think about yourself less and focus more on others,” comments Buck, from GreatFlorida Insurance. An article found in Psychology Today says, “Thankfulness is reported to reduce toxic emotions such as envy, resentment, frustration and regret.” Examinations by Robert Emmon, a leading gratitude researcher found gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
Emotional Benefits
Let’s face it- no one enjoys hanging out with “Debbie Downer” complaining about their problems. People who are thankful are characteristically happier, less envious, more relaxed, kinder, are more social and maintain stronger friendships and marriage relations.
A 2014 study published in Emotionnews, found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. Write a thank-you note, thanking someone for even a small act of generosity can open doors for new and meaningful relationships.
If some of the following claims leave you feeling a bit dubious, check it out for yourself. Try keeping a thankful journal and record your blessings on a regular basis. Also, try to reframe a situation that seems negative by viewing it through the lens of gratitude, you might find yourself thankful for the situation.
At GreatFlorida Insurance we promote healthy lifestyles. Part of maintaining good health, begins with dependable health insurance. Our top notch healthcare insurance agency can help you find the right insurance policy to fit your lifestyle. Give us a call today.
