To say that 2020 has been a challenging year for most of us is a profoundly serious understatement. While it’s easy to fall into quiet despair, now might actually be the best time to cultivate positive mental health habits, one of them being gratitude. Paradoxically, suffering can yield a grateful heart, if approached with care and mindfulness. As reported by CNN Health:1
Inspirational speaker and YouTube sensation Claire Wineland also embodied this truth. This lovely young woman died in 2018 at the age of 21 from a massive stroke following an otherwise successful lung transplant.2 Born with cystic fibrosis — a progressive and terminal genetic disease — she spent the bulk of her short life inspiring people to “love what is,”3 to love every breath; to not waste life and to make a life that matters. Start a Gratitude JournalEnhancing your well-being can be as simple as taking some time each day to reflect on what you’re thankful for. A simple and proven way of doing this is to keep a gratitude journal.4 In one study,5 participants who kept a gratitude diary and reflected on what they were grateful for just four times a week for three weeks improved their depression, stress and happiness scores. In another study, people who kept a gratitude journal reported exercising more and had fewer visits to the doctor.6,7 Indeed, there’s an entire field of study looking at the health benefits of gratitude. For example, studies have shown it helps regulate stress by stimulating your hypothalamus and ventral tegmental area.8 It also improves your sleep,9 heart health10 and immune function,11 and boosts mental health by triggering the release of antidepressant and mood-regulating chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and oxytocin. Gratitude, or a generous attitude, is also neurally linked with happiness.12 Strengthen one and you automatically boost the other. Save Not for Tomorrow the Joy You Can Feel TodayThanksgiving Day is, of course, “the” day of the year when thoughts of gratitude linger in the minds of most Americans. Hopefully, you are spending this day with family and friends. While many areas have issued pandemic restrictions for the holidays, banning large indoor gatherings and so on, I hope the plans you’ve made are the result of your own conscience rather than fear of breaking some tyrannical rule (which the government leaders are likely to ignore themselves). As I noted in “How Would You Prefer to Spend Your Last Holiday Season?” we don’t know how much time we have left, and for an untold number of people, this Thanksgiving will be their last. For most, relationships and human connection are the most valuable parts of life, and if “staying safe” means forfeiting that which matters most, what are we trying to save? If for whatever reason you cannot join your near and dear ones, consider making good use of technology. Instead of a text or a phone call, you could use Facetime or Zoom for a virtual face-to-face. You could even set up a monitor at the end of the table and patch in family members virtually so you can talk while sharing your Thanksgiving meal in separate quarters. What I’m Grateful for Right NowI have much to be thankful for as I look back on this remarkable year, including my awesome staff, without whom this website would not be what it is. There are many editors, customer support, an IT tech team and great managers and administrators that make all of this possible. You, my readers, are also at the top of this list. With censorship gripping us ever more tightly, we would not be able to get the news out without you. Since mid-2019, Google, Twitter and YouTube have all censored or outright banned nearly all of our articles and videos, forcing us to rely on you to share the information within your private networks. Thank you for subscribing and forwarding these articles to others. It’s less convenient than it was before, which makes me all the more grateful that so many of you are taking the time and making the effort. One person, one share at a time, we are making an impact. I often receive notes of thanks from readers, some of which are featured in the video above. Knowing that people are turning their lives around and regaining their health brings me great joy and satisfaction. My search for optimal health has been a lifelong journey, and I am thankful for all who walk this less-trodden path with me. So many people struggle needlessly, having been fooled by the food and drug industries deceptive propaganda that, for decades have pointed everyone in the wrong direction. Today, more than ever, people are being misled by the technocratic propaganda machine that seeks to eliminate our freedoms in every respect. Together, we are making a difference though. While it’s certainly true that we still have a long way to go, in time, I believe truth and sanity will prevail. We just have to maintain a positive attitude and keep going, keep searching for the truth, and share it when we find it. Tap Your Way to GratitudeIf the daily news steers your mind in unproductive circles and stirs your anxiety, consider unplugging and taking a holiday from it. The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can also be a helpful tool if you struggle with pessimism. EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the energy meridians used in acupuncture. It’s an effective way to quickly restore your inner balance and healing and helps rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions. In the video above, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for gratitude. Practical Strategies to Strengthen Your GratitudeAside from EFT and journaling, there are many other strategies that can help you flex your gratitude muscle. Following are a diverse array of practices, recommended by various experts and researchers,13 that can boost your gratitude quotient. Pick one or more that appeal to you, and make a point to work it into your daily or weekly schedule. If you like, conduct your own little experiment: Write down your current level of happiness and life satisfaction on a piece of paper or your annual calendar, using a rating system of zero to 10. Every three months or so (provided you’ve actually been doing your gratitude exercise), re-evaluate and re-rank yourself.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/11/26/thanksgiving-in-2020.aspx
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