Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year! What a perfect holiday: all about good food and gratitude, and gathering with friends and family or being quiet alone at home. 

One of my precious mentors once said to me, "God doesn't need our gratitude, but we do." What he meant by that is that our nervous system can do its best healing when we are in a state of profound thanksgiving. It is a neurological fact that the brain cannot release stress hormones when it is in a state of gratitude; therefore, if you anticipate some stressful situations coming up, it's a good time to pull out your gratitude list and place your focus there. Perhaps that's why we put Thanksgiving right before some other potentially stressful holidays!

My gratitude list includes at least one hundred things that I'm thankful for, and I've found that composing that list before I encounter stressful situations helps me remain more present and focused on the positive aspects of the situation, and less impacted by the stressful elements. This list includes not only all of the big gifts that life offers, but also the hundreds of small ones that we take for granted every day: the sweet feeling of the breeze on your skin, the smell of rain or freshly cut grass, the smile of a loved one, etc... One of my favorites is the feeling of fresh rain drops rolling off a pine needle onto my tongue--it just makes my heart and soul sing!

If you sit down with pen and paper on an early meditative morning, I'll bet your heart will overflow with ideas and memories. Perhaps you'll think of some new things to be thankful for and new experiences to explore. Write them all down, then have them ready when you begin to feel stressed. Then, shift your attention to gratitude: What are you most thankful for at that moment? Try keeping your gratitude list in your wallet or purse so you can pull it out when you need it most.

 

What we at Partners In Health Care, Naturally are most grateful for is YOU, our wonderful patients and customers! All of our love and prayers go out to each and every one of you and your families for a safe and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving.

Ecstatic health and happiness!

Dr. Susan E. Godman