by Pennie Sempell, JD ACMT
You knocked yourself out helping the children with their home lessons, getting to and from the afterschool soccer game and getting dinner on the table for the hungry gang. Your little one is fussy, rubbing her eyes and ready for bed. Big brother is giving you a hard time about brushing his teeth. With a sigh, you are wondering “When am I going to get a little ‘Thank you’?”
Cultivating gratitude is the theme for this month’s health literacy article. A growing body of research over the past 10 years has expanded the science of gratitude, with many fascinating findings. For example, the simple act of saying thank you can transform your health. Sleeping better, feeling happier and generally being healthier are all benefits of doing simple acts that cultivate gratitude.
So how do you cultivate gratitude in family members and yourself? It all starts at home. Start with yourself. Begin practicing one or more of these gratitude exercises for a week or so, before introducing them to the family. Get comfortable doing something that may feel a little awkward at first.
For parents and older children, here are 3 ways to cultivate gratitude:
1. Say thank you more often to more people
2. Each night, write down five things you are thankful for
3. Value the present. Share a story that has meaning for you about your day.
For younger children, here are 3 ways to cultivate gratitude:
1. Model and reinforce saying thank you to more people
2. Talk together bout what it means to be grateful. Share examples from your day. Encourage discussion.
3. Make an “I am thankful” Journal book, with a colorful cover and lined paper. Before bed, encourage your child to write (or dictate) 3 things she/he is thankful for that day.
Your goal, of course, is to cultivate the spirit of gratitude in your family members for their better mental, physical and social health. Along the way, who knows? Maybe you’ll get that thank you that you deserve!
Additional Reading: For more reading on gratitude by a psychologist who has studied gratitude for a decade, you might wish to take a look at Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons, University of California, Davis.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
You knocked yourself out helping the children with their home lessons, getting to and from the afterschool soccer game and getting dinner on the table for the hungry gang. Your little one is fussy, rubbing her eyes and ready for bed. Big brother is giving you a hard time about brushing his teeth. With a sigh, you are wondering “When am I going to get a little ‘Thank you’?”
Cultivating gratitude is the theme for this month’s health literacy article. A growing body of research over the past 10 years has expanded the science of gratitude, with many fascinating findings. For example, the simple act of saying thank you can transform your health. Sleeping better, feeling happier and generally being healthier are all benefits of doing simple acts that cultivate gratitude.
So how do you cultivate gratitude in family members and yourself? It all starts at home. Start with yourself. Begin practicing one or more of these gratitude exercises for a week or so, before introducing them to the family. Get comfortable doing something that may feel a little awkward at first.
For parents and older children, here are 3 ways to cultivate gratitude:
1. Say thank you more often to more people
2. Each night, write down five things you are thankful for
3. Value the present. Share a story that has meaning for you about your day.
For younger children, here are 3 ways to cultivate gratitude:
1. Model and reinforce saying thank you to more people
2. Talk together bout what it means to be grateful. Share examples from your day. Encourage discussion.
3. Make an “I am thankful” Journal book, with a colorful cover and lined paper. Before bed, encourage your child to write (or dictate) 3 things she/he is thankful for that day.
Your goal, of course, is to cultivate the spirit of gratitude in your family members for their better mental, physical and social health. Along the way, who knows? Maybe you’ll get that thank you that you deserve!
Additional Reading: For more reading on gratitude by a psychologist who has studied gratitude for a decade, you might wish to take a look at Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons, University of California, Davis.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
