Senior Living

Attitude of Gratitude

This holiday season is the perfect time to focus on being grateful for so many things in your life. There are many benefits for practicing gratitude. Emotional benefits: 1. you will feel more relaxed, 2. more optimistic, 3. able to dwell on happier memories, 4. feel good more often, 5. feel less envious of others, 6. and be less depressed.

Social benefits: 1. Able to be more social, 2. be friendlier and more likable to others, 3. able to have deeper relationships and more friendships, 4. and people are kinder towards us.

Health benefits: 1. Improved sleep quality, 2. increased energy, 3. being less sick and having less physical pain

So how do we get an attitude of gratitude – it starts with kindness, kindness to others, as well as kindness to ourselves. Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Sometimes kindness has a connotation of meaning someone is naïve or weak, that is not the case. Being kind often requires courage and strength.

There are many ways to practice kindness. 1. One way to be kind is to open your eyes and be active when you see people alone or in need. Opening your eyes means noticing when others are suffering. 2. Other ways are: • A kind word, • a smile, • opening a door, • asking a stranger to sit by you, • celebrating someone you love, • giving honest compliments, • sending an email thanking someone, • telling someone how they are special to you, • inviting someone you know who is alone or new to be a part of your group, • refusing to gossip, • donating your old clothing and home goods • and sharing homemade food

Kindness does include being kind to yourself. Do you treat yourself kindly? Do you speak gently and kindly to yourself and take good care of yourself?

There are many ways to be kind and many opportunities to practice an attitude of gratitude.

When you reach that point in your life when it seems you’ve seen it all, and done it double that amount, it’s hard to stay full aware all the time of the amazing blessings in our life.

But when you stop to think about it, we live in an exciting time where we can compare the knowledge of our lives in the past and marvel at the advancements we enjoy today.

So when you find yourself grumbling about the good old days, consider these six blessings and compare them to days past:

1. You have your health. Advances in healthcare technologies and settings mean disease is being detected earlier, and treatment is becoming more effective. 2. You keep in touch with family. No matter where you are in the world, today’s innovations in communications make it possible to talk with those you love anytime, anyplace. You can even read the newspaper and get the weather forecast through wireless devices. 3. Entertainment is accessible 24/7. The accessibility to movies, live theater, church services, concerts, and literature is unprecedented. Think about it. If you want to show your grandchildren how awesome Elvis Presley moved, all it takes is a quick search on YouTube. 4. Healthy food is on every shelf. People have more options now than they ever did including congregate meal sites, home delivered meals, having someone else shop for you and bring it to your car, and drive through meals. 5. It’s never too late for a change of attitude. Life shows us that it’s never too late to pattern our behavior after role models or associate with peer groups that reflect the attitude we want for ourselves.

Finally – remember: 6. People love you. Think about how much you enjoy visiting with your neighbors or talking with your grandchildren on the phone; or think about how much you appreciate your favorite grocery cashier’s smile. Chances are… they enjoy those things about you.

During this Holiday season and for every season, make an effort to embrace an attitude of gratitude for the comforts of life we enjoy every day.

Be kind, welcoming, and have an attitude of gratitude.