Ever wondered how to unlock the transformative power of gratitude? I'm Karen Hall, and I invite you to join me for an enlightening episode of the Hero Within podcast. As we gear up for Thanksgiving, we reflect on the term 'gratitude' and its profound impact on both our physical and mental health. We discuss enlightening studies conducted by the University of California Davis and the University of Pennsylvania, revealing the ways an active expression of appreciation can boost our physical health, happiness, and even our sleep patterns.
What if we could turn everyday experiences into moments of thanksgiving? Drawing from wisdom shared by William Arthur Ward and the Dalai Lama, we explore how gratitude can create ripples of positive change in our lives and the world at large. Curious to know more? Join us as we delve deeper into the benefits of gratitude and its transformative power. Let's make every day a Thanksgiving, and together, let's inspire positive changes within ourselves and those around us.
Speaker 1:
Hey there, welcome back. I'm Karen Hall, your host of the Hero Within podcast. I'm passionate about sharing inspiring true stories of unsung heroes who've overcome some of life's most challenging adversities. Come along with me and learn how you too can find hope and healing to return to love.
Speaker 1:
The word gratitude originates from the Latin word gratia, which means grace or thankfulness, and it embodies a deep sense of appreciation for a gift. It acknowledges the goodness in one's own life and recognizing the source of that goodness, whether it's another person, a circumstance or God, there are so many benefits to being grateful. Gratitude is such a powerful emotion. It not only touches our spirit, but it also profoundly impacts our physical and mental health. Studies have shown numerous benefits to our health. Grateful individuals often demonstrate better physical health. The University of California Davis did a study and they found that those who actively practice gratitude reported fewer physical symptoms, they exercised more regularly and they showed a stronger immune system compared to those who didn't. I thought, wow. I just was so surprised to find out that being grateful impacted people to exercise more. I definitely need to be more grateful.
Speaker 1:
Gratitude significantly influences mental health and contributes to increased happiness and reduced levels of stress. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study revealing that participants who wrote gratitude letters reported better mental health and they experienced decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety. I think most of us know those benefits. Also, fostering a sense of appreciation has been linked to improved sleep patterns and improved self-esteem and an increased resilience in facing life's challenges. I thought that was really interesting about how gratitude helps us sleep better, and one of the practices that I have is to think of things that I'm grateful for, especially before I go to bed, when I'm saying my prayers and when I write my letters to God and I thank Him for my blessings. It brings such a peaceful feeling to me. It brings joy to my heart because as I reflect on those things that I'm grateful for, I feel happy, and that helps me to fall into a deeper sleep. Gratitude also serves as a buffer against negative emotions and it helps us to have a positive outlook on life.
Speaker 1:
William Arthur Ward said gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings, and I really like that that we can turn any day into thanksgiving. We don't have to wait until the third Thursday in November. The Dalai Lama said the roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness, and I just really appreciated these messages about gratitude, and I find that the more you are thinking about things that you are grateful for, the more that your eyes and your heart open to things to be grateful for. And I remember when I started making a list of all the things that I was grateful for and the ways that I saw God's hand in my life and I saw so many blessings and I saw so many miracles and I I realized that God was involved in so many things during my day most everything during my day and that just made me feel so happy. And so I know that gratitude is a very powerful tool to help us with our physical and our mental health, and it also helps us to have a more fulfilling life and to feel greater joy. So, as we're getting ready for Thanksgiving, I just wanted to remind you about gratitude and tell you that I'm grateful for all of you. Thank you for your feedback, thank you for all your support for the podcast and thank you for your reviews about the podcast and how it is impacting you. I am so thankful and, for those of you who are still thinking about it, I would just love hearing your feedback on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 1:
For any of you who need help on leaving a review, I know sometimes it can be tricky, but just send me a message and I will help you out. And thank you for the things that you are doing in this world to promote goodness and for the ways that you're grateful, because, as you're grateful and as I'm grateful, that energy goes out into the universe and we impact other people. We don't even know that we do, but just by having a grateful attitude, some of that positive energy affects other people and then there's a ripple effect that just goes outward and so we can bless other people even if we don't even say anything to them, but just by having a grateful attitude we impact their energy. So thanks again and just wanna let you know I appreciate you. Thanks for listening. I know you're busy. Did you know that you help spread the love by leaving a review and following? This helps increase our visibility so people can find us online. I really appreciate your help. I'm wishing you lots of love in your own hero's journey.