Tis' the season to be grateful. Have you ever sat around the Thanksgiving Dinner table as everyone took turns saying what they're thankful for? As we rush around this holiday season, it's important to remember to practice gratitude throughout the season, not just one evening. Gratitude is the state of being grateful and involves expressing appreciation and thanks for the things you have in your life. You can be thankful for anything, like a beautiful day or a delicious cup of coffee. The gratitude can also be for something less tangible, like being grateful for your health or the strength of a relationship. Why is it important to practice gratitude and how to get started?

Why We're Grateful for Gratitude

There are quite a few physical and mental health benefits associated with practicing gratitude. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. They adhere to the idea that gratitude is a positive emotion that has a...

What is Positive Thinking?

Positive thinking is the practice of focusing on the good of any given situation. This does not mean you ignore the bad things that happen in life; it's how you deal with them. One who practices positive thinking looks at everything that happens in life and expects that all will go well and work in their favor. They believe the best will happen, not the worst. Positive thinking starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the constant stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These thoughts can be both positive or negative. If your self-talk is more optimistic, you're an optimist. If it's more negative, you're a pessimist.

Positive Thinking and Health

Positive thinking is connected to health and wellness. This accounts for both physical and mental health. Chronic and long-term stress can be a cause of many health problems.

When you have chronic stress, your body does not turn off the fight or flight mechanisms we engage in when under a stressful or...