A Selfless Form of Self-Care

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” – Kristin Armstrong

We usually talk about self-care or self-love in this email, but this week our topic is about something that is selfless, yet it can be an important contributor to our own well-being, too.

How often do you think about what you are truly thankful for? This time of year, as Thanksgiving and the holiday season approach, it may be more at the top of our minds than usual. But we really should cultivate that attitude of gratitude as something we focus on every day.

By expressing gratitude, we’re doing a good thing for others, and we’re doing a good thing for our own health. It’s a coping strategy that can reduce stress, and I think we could all use some stress-reducing help right now. This doesn’t mean we should ignore our negative feelings, but rather that we choose to focus on our positive feelings. It’s understanding that there is always some positive thing in our lives that we are thankful for, and there is usually someone to thank for that positive thing.

For me, it starts with grateful thinking. I realize that I am in charge of my own thoughts, and it’s up to me to choose positive thinking over negative thinking and to treat gratitude as a strength. It can be hard, at times, but when I focus on grateful thinking, it boosts my mood.

There are SO many ways we can express gratitude to others, every day. We can tell someone we’re grateful for them, in a conversation, a letter, an email, a text, or a message of any kind. We can let them know we’re grateful for their friendship, partnership, support, or encouragement. We can reach out to a loved one or a friend and thank them for doing something special or for saying something that helped us feel better at a time when we really needed it.

Or we can do something nice for someone else – rake a neighbor’s leaves, bring in their paper or garbage cans, take them some flowers, bake them something yummy and drop it off at their house – anything that shows we’re thinking of them and we’re grateful.

Just make it a habit every day to practice grateful thinking and to remember those who are responsible for the positives in your life. It’s amazing the difference it can make to your own health when you realize you have a lot to be grateful for every day. You’ll feel more positive, stronger, and thankful that you did.