Being Thankful can Improve Your Health

Here at Louisville Dental Associates, your choice for dentists in Louisville, Colorado, we are thankful for our patients. We love Thanksgiving week, because people all around the United States express their deep gratitude for the wonderful aspects of their lives, but a lot of people do not realize that in giving thanks, they are improving their health as well.
There is scientific evidence that proves when it comes to your mood, and health. People who are happy live sometimes up to 10 years longer than people who are unhappy. Did you know that optimists have a more than a 77% lower risk of diseases like heart disease than pessimists?

YOU can become happier and more optimistic as well. These tips can help.

Smile More
Smiling helps you feel better. We love recommend to our patients smiling because it truly is the fastest way to feel better. When you are sad or frustrated try it out. Simply smile a little for a more grateful heart. There are many studies that show smiling can improve your over all mood and even your bodies ability to handle stress. If you are uncomfortable with the way you smile, we have cosmetic procedures that can help ease your worry.
Research proves that consistently grateful people are almost always happier, they have more energy, and they are more hopeful, more helpful, and very empathic. People who are depressed, anxious, lonely, or sick can turn to a more thankful attitude for an improved state of wellbeing.

Gratitude your Attitude
Being thankful helps improve your mood in many ways. A recent study proved this, with a group of participants who were asked to name at least five things they were grateful for every single day, while another test group was asked to name at least five problems. Those who shared gratitude were not only happier but more optimistic, plus they reported feeling fewer physical symptoms like headache toothaches, nausea, and acne.

How Gratitude Can Boost Your Happiness

1. Promotes a positive life experiences
2. Bolsters self-esteem and self-worth
3. Helps people cope with trauma and stress
4. Encourages caring acts and more moral behavior
5. Helps build social bonds, strengthen existing relationships, and nurture new relationships (and we know lonely people have twice the rate of heart disease as those with strong social connections)
6. Inhibits harmful comparisons
7. Diminishes or deters negative feelings such as anger, bitterness, and greed
8. Thwarts hedonistic adaptation (the ability to adjust your set point to positive new circumstances so that we don’t appreciate the new circumstance and it has little affect on our overall health or happiness)

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to you.