Be Grateful For Your Health.

You often hear people say "Be grateful for your health". I am a huge promoter of Gratitude Journals and living a life of gratitude. Many think it is just babble from a flower child. It turns out being grateful is an important part of your physical, mental and spiritual health. There is scientific proof that gratitude will improve your health in every area.

In the book Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock ad Moving Forward, Michael Steger states on page 249:

"...there has been an accumulation of scientific evidence showing the contributio of gratitude to psychological and social well-being (Emmons & McCullou.gh, 2003 McCullough, Kilpatrick, Emmons, & Larson, 2001; Wood, Froh & Geraghty, 2010). Gratitude has been shown to contribute to not only an increase in positive affect ad other desirable life outcomes but also to a decrease in negative affect...among patients with neuromuscular disease, college students, hypertensives and early adolescents....

Gratitude promotes optimal functioning at multiple levels of analysis-biological, experiential, personal, relational, familial, institutional and even cultural. (Emmons & McCullough, 2004)."

Gratitude is found to cultivate other character traits and emotions such as compassion, empathy and increase one's willingness to help others. (McCullough et all, 2002)

Another study conducted by Emmons & McCullough in 2003 showed that those who implemented a conscious habit of being grateful with in weeks had a brighter outlook on life, complained less about health issues or pain and overall better well-being.