We have outlined the importance of exercise and given you tips on recipes to kicks tart a newer, healthier you, but did you know that your mental health is just as important as its healthy counter parts? Well-being encompasses many things: exercise, nutrition and even gratitude and forgiveness. Go beyond the refrigerator and consider the health benefits that gratitude and forgiveness can give you. The holiday season is a time when many reflect on the past year and start the new one off fresh and clean.
Want lower blood pressure and a stronger immune system? Be grateful. Ongoing research shows that people who are grateful not only have better immune systems but also have fewer symptoms of illness. If you want to sleep better take some notes from the grateful people around you. They sleep better and have a better tolerance for aches and pains. Encourage resilience after difficult experiences and strengthen your relationships by being grateful this upcoming year. Gratitude will go a long way when it comes to your health.
People who are grateful are generally more optimistic and lead happier lives. They look forward to taking care of themselves and they eat and exercise regularly to stay in good health. Improve your quality of life by being grateful for the things that you have in your life. It is an antidote for negative emotions and can help fight against anxiety, depression and anger. Gratitude can change the way you view a struggle and give you a positive outlook in any situation.
What exactly is gratitude? It is being thankful for the gifts you receive, no matter how small, from others and the benefits you receive. For cancer patients, being grateful is one of the hardest things to master, but the one that helps the most. Those patients facing uncertainty and change in their lives need to make a concerted effort to be grateful for the treatments they receive, the doctors and people supporting them and everyone who are helping them to fight this battle.
Forgiveness also does wonders to boost your immune system and lower your blood pressure. Forgiving people have lower rates of heart disease and fewer health issues related to stress. An added bonus is higher self-esteem and much richer relationships. To forgive someone, you make a personal decision to move on and let go of any negative feelings of being wronged, and to not be ruled by it. People who forgive do not let these feelings influence their actions, responses or how they view the world. Once you forgive someone, it doesn’t mean you forget what happened or accept that it was ok, you simply release the negative hold that it had on you.
Forgiveness presents the opportunity to step back and view your life and determine what is important. For cancer patients it gives them an opportunity to reflect on this life altering disease and reconsider the journey of life.