hm that went well . Everytime I read over this lesson plan I smile because the idea is just something small but can help in so many ways I am pasting it under here . read it over go watch the videos and learn something you may have forgotten use it to brighten your day buzzfeed/video/chrisreinacher/things-to-be-thankful-for The Benefits of Gratitude Thinking positive is not just a nice gesture for others. Positive thinking has solid benefits on your physical and mental health. – People who think positively may progress better in their treatment programs, as is often the case for many medical health treatment methods as well. Positive thinking puts you in the seat of control in your life. Negative thinkers tend to blame others for their problems, while positive thinkers can truly pinpoint the sources of their problems and use that knowledge to improve their lives. Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has—as opposed to, say, a consumer-oriented emphasis on what one wants or needs. Gratitude is getting a great deal of attention as a facet of positive psychology. Studies show that gratitude not only can be deliberately cultivated, but can increase levels of well-being and happiness among those who do cultivate it. In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy youtu.be/ICuxp72kYRs Nick Vojickic Evidence In one study, one group of participants were asked to name five things they’re grateful for every day, while another group was asked to list five hassles. Those expressing gratitude were not only happier and more optimistic; they reported fewer physical symptoms (such as headache, cough, nausea, or acne). Other gratitude studies have shown that those with chronic illnesses demonstrate clinical improvement when practicing regular gratitude. Severely depressed people instructed to list grateful thoughts on a website daily were found to be significantly less depressed by the end of the study when compared to depressed people who weren’t asked to express gratitude. And we know that depression is a significant risk factor for disease. As we experience challenging times, it may feel tough to be thankful. Yet practicing thankfulness is one of the most powerful ways of thinking to bring about a change in our circumstances Thankfulness is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to create a change in our circumstances and move us in a direction that serves our purpose. Being thankful raises individuals and organizations to a new level of consciousness. It gives us access to our highest awareness and our ability to see the myriad of possibilities, discover what we truly want, and create and realize a vision for the future. When we are focused on being thankful, something amazing happens. Our brains are now able to perceive even more that makes us thankful. It is similar to focusing on our strengths, except focusing on our strengths is an intellectual process. As we practice being thankful, we invoke a power within. We experience a dramatic improvement in our spirit, our relationships, our creativity, and in our lives. Notice the physical and mental transformation that occurs. You find yourself smiling. Your spine straightens. Your muscles relax. Your creative juices begin to flow and you get ideas on how to turn your situation around and move in a direction that inspires you. youtu.be/nj2ofrX7jAk The art of moving How to Be Thankful (Even in a Difficult Year) 1.)Think of bad situations that have occurred and then find the good that came out of them. You can do this either by identifying the positive direct results or accidental by-products. You can glean something positive from even the darkest of moments. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Try noticing one ungrateful thought you have each day and switching it around to something you can be grateful for. 2.) Being thankful even extends to the little things. It’s not only the major life moments that you can be thankful for. A mental health center can show you that every day contains something that you can be thankful for. It can even be things as little as the sun shining through your office window or the vibrant taste of your favorite autumn-flavor coffee and the fact that you were able to have the financial needs to be able to afford that luxury. 3.)Take notice of the contributions people have made in your life – friends, family, and strangers on the street, anyone who has been a positive influence. 4.)Take account of everything that you have and all that you’ve been able to do. You still have time to try to improve the negative things that have occurred in your life this year. Take it one day at a time. You are still alive and breathing – that is something huge to be thankful for. 5.)Relax. Its hard to cultivate a sense of gratitude when youre angry, frustrated, or anxious. If these are issues that you struggle with, its important to resolve them, as theyre formidable barriers to thankfulness. 6.) Live in the Moment. If youre too busy dwelling on the past or thinking about the future, you wont be able to fully notice how fantastic things are right now. Plus, thinking about the past and future opens the door to comparison, which is the only way you can perceive something as not good enough. What you have now is all that exists, and comparing that to something that doesnt exist anymore (or yet) is an easy way to foster dissatisfaction and torture yourself. Like the old saying goes Past is History, Future is a Mystery and Today is a Gift and hence it is called the Present. Enjoy today, this moment and dont postpone your enjoyment. Start with your senses. The most basic pleasures in life are usually accessible to us all the time, but they slip out of our consciousness because we get so used to them. Learn to notice the little things, and deliberately appreciate them. . Look around. Notice beautiful shapes, colors, and details. Notice things you normally take for granted, like sunlight reflecting off someones hair and sunlight changing thru the day enhancing everything. Think of all the little things youd miss if you were blind. Its often the most minute joys that are missed the most. Smell the roses. And the food. And the air. Recognize the smells that make you feel good: a freshly cut lawn, the air right after it rains, a fresh pot of coffee. Savor your food. Eat slowly. Dont just gobble and chug. Identify flavors. Appreciate how they intermingle. Take notes from wine enthusiasts; they know how to enjoy the subtlest of flavors. Appreciate the sense of touch. How do leaves, blankets, lotions feel against your skin? How many times during the day do people touch you affectionately, and you barely notice? Listen to more than music. Listen when you think its quiet, and youll discover its not really all that quiet. You might hear the wind, leaves rustling, kids laughing. Cherish any kind of lightheartedness in your life. Things like laughter, affection, and playfulness are fleeting. Once a relationship has degraded so that those things dont spontaneously occur anymore, its very hard to get them back. You might know that from experience. So treat those moments with care (especially with kids, who are at the peak of lightheartedness). Dont be the person who takes life too seriously, who doesnt have time to have fun, or who has no sense of humor. Express gratitude directly to others. Call a friend, write a letter, share your grateful thoughts with family members, or speak to a colleague at work about what you’re grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal. Challenge yourself to write down five new things every day that youre grateful for. Itll be easy in the beginning, but soon youll discover that you have to increase your awareness to keep on.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:21:44 +0000
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