It’s November which means the season of Thanksgiving, for those of us in the United States. Many people use this month to reflect on the things, people and experiences they are grateful for. Then we finish the month with a huge turkey feast and go back to our old habits.
At Find Your Fit, we are taking a different approach. We are beginning this month with gratitude, continuing the month with gratitude, and keeping this gratitude mindset long past our Thanksgiving turkey dinners. Why? Because we know the powerful, positive effects gratitude has on our brains!
Yes, that’s right. Gratitude and Neuroscience share a strong connection. As you practice gratitude, new neural pathways to the bliss center of the brain are formed. Expressing gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin in our brain. These are two neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of happiness. Gratitude is like a natural anti-depressant. Have you ever noticed that you feel better when you practice gratitude? If not, pay attention to how you feel the next time you express gratitude to someone or are grateful for something.
Practicing gratitude can also reduce stress and anxiety. Who wouldn’t want less stress and anxiety?! That’s not all, either. Gratitude can improve sleep quality and reduce pain. As these changes in your brain and body occur, you become better able to maneuver your job search, career path, and a myriad of other life challenges you may face.
At Find Your Fit, we begin our gratitude journey this month in expressing our gratitude for YOU. If you are a current or former client, we are grateful that you have trusted us to help you along your growth journey. If you are a friend, family member or colleague, we are grateful for your unending support of our business. If you are someone who stumbled upon our blog, we are grateful that you’ve taken a few minutes to read this blog about people and a company you don’t know.
How do you get into the practice of gratitude? Begin with something as simple as writing in a gratitude journal. Each day you can write a note of things, people and/or experiences you are grateful for. These don’t have to be big things. It can be something as simple as being grateful for a warm roof over your head, or a car that starts in the cold weather. What is something you are grateful for? Comment below and notice what difference it makes in how you feel!
Source: https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
