Last week, I received an email from a very grateful grandmother who sent word of her grandson's acceptance into college.  We had worked with her then 16 year-old grandson last year as we supported and guided him and his family through open heart surgery. Her words, "This would not have been possible without Guardian Nurses" humbled me and as I forwarded it to our team of nurse advocates, I felt grateful not only that she let us know the good news, but also that we were able to have that impact on his future.  

This got me to thinking about the health benefits of gratitude.  Can a grateful heart enhance your health?  Many studies say 'yes.'  So does Oprah. Not to be outdone, we say yes, too. 

In celebration of Valentine's Day, this month's issue of The Flame addresses the health of gratitude. With thanks to Anthony, Linda, Christina, and Junior, who allowed us to enter their world at a particularly difficult time and who have now become part of the Guardian Nurses family. 

Happy Valentine's Day!  

The Health of Gratitude  

Can a grateful heart enhance your health? A growing body of research says, "Yes." Gratitude, as a conscious practice, offers a whole host of health benefits.   

Gratitude promotes physical and emotional well-being, improves one's ability to cope with stress and bolsters positive interaction with others. Furthermore, research shows grateful individuals report having more energy and less physical complaints than their non-grateful counterparts.    

Positive emotions enhance heart health by interrupting the stress response caused by negative emotions. In short, the practice of gratitude offers a method for a more harmonious life.    

So, how do we choose gratitude? And, is it ok to "fake it"? Sure, go ahead.  Our emotions follow our thoughts; we can "act as if" we feel gratitude by concentrating our thoughts on things we are truly grateful for. In time, the real feeling of gratitude will follow. As days turn into months, a shift in our thinking will occur, leaving us more content because we are focusing on the goodness in our life. And, typically, what we focus on becomes our reality.

Here are a few tips to get started:

• Set aside a little bit of time each day. If you're a morning person, give yourself 5 minutes after you get dressed to focus on gratitude. Night time works well for some - a few minutes at the end of the day to think about gratitude. Any time of day will do, just try to keep it consistent.
• Get a small notebook to record your gratitude thoughts. Writing your thoughts down helps them to stick. Writing also is a reflective activity; we have to think about it.    
• Make a short list (3 - 5 items) of things you are grateful for. Little things count - a lot. It can be something as every day as "I'm grateful for warm gloves," or "I'm grateful for my glass of hot cocoa with marshmallows," or "I'm grateful for knowing the sun is shining above these gray winter clouds."   

The results of one study done on keepers of gratitude journals indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. The researchers also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.   

So, in a way, I guess my mom was ahead of her time when she would say to me "Count your blessings."  She just forgot to mention the journaling part.  Once again....sigh...my mom was right. 

1. Baseball season begins very soon.
2. A grandmom letting us know her grandson got into college.
3. My siblings and their children enjoy good health.