Surely, 2020 has invited us to revisit our priorities with respect to well-being. To express the end-of-the-year gratitude, this blog explores how gratitude and self-care can nurture our physical and mental health. Let us ponder our innate ability to improve well-being by sharing gratitude.

Gratitude reflects an alignment of our heart and mind. Did you know that gratitude practices activate a specific part of the prefrontal cortex in our brain?1 "Feeling good“ attribute of gratitude may involve the opioid signaling in the brain reward system.2 Gratitude journaling was shown to increase parasympathetic heart rate variability responses.3 Indeed, the gratitude-brain-heart connection creates real physiological effects.4

Gratitude is a wonderful medicine for well-being5, while bringing many health benefits, for example:

Improving sleep6
Lowering inflammatory biomarkers4
Reducing depression7

So let us grow and share gratitude to empower our individual and collective well-being. The opportunities are endless. Are we grateful for everything that we take for granted? What else can we do to nurture well-being?

“Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.”

— Rumi

Timeless and priceless are self-care practices which make us "feel good“. Here are some insights to explore:

Listening to music and loving kindness meditation have been equally effective in improving well-being8
Mindfulness medition improves well-being of people with chronic medical conditions9
Exposure to nature, including forests, lakes, oceans, seas and rivers has multiple positive effects on our health and well-being10

Did you know that self-compassion is also important to nourish well-being?11 Indeed, "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete,“ Jack Kornfield concluded.

In summary, gratitude and well-being are well connected (pun intended) and go hand-in-hand. Looking forward beyond 2020, are we ready to share more gratitude and well-being in 2021 and 2023 and...?

Thank you for joining our journey towards healing and thriving.

In gratitude, best wishes and stay well,
Greg

References

1. Front Hum Neurosci 2017
2. Front Psychol 2017
3. Psychosom Med 2016
4. Sci Rep 2017
5. J Couns Psychol 2018
6. J Psychosom Res 2009
7. Health Psychol 2017
8. J Psychol 2019
9. Adv Mind Body Med 2017
10. Environ Int 2019; Environ Health Prev Med 2019
11. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2015

Insights & Inspirations