Say Thanks, Be Grateful, Have Better Health

What a simple word "Thanks" is. With one tiny expulsion of breath one can say it. Yet how often the expressing of it is ignored. How many people realize that saying that one word along with practicing an attitude of gratitude can improve our health?

The mind and body are connected. "Research suggests that individuals who are grateful in their daily lives actually report fewer stress-related health symptoms, including headaches, gastrointestinal (stomach) issues, chest pain, muscle aches, and appetite problems," says Sheela Raja, PhD, an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

So the first step is recognizing the importance of gratitude in our lives. Gratitude is the feeling of being thankful to someone else for doing something for us. It can also be called appreciation.

There are several ways we can increase the showing of gratitude in our lives.

• We can practice meditation or prayer. Learn and practice being thankful for the people in your life and the beauty of the earth, the splendor of creation.
• Some people reflect on what they are thankful for on a daily basis and share these with their families.
• Practice looking for the good qualities in others and telling them why you appreciate them.
• Do something for someone else. It is a reality that helping other people helps us focus more on the blessings in our own lives.

On a personal note, an additional way I show appreciation is by sending Thank You cards. Although store bought cards have poetic words of  "thanks" pre-written, it is much more special to write your own words of thankfulness. It's a loving and kind thing to add your personal touch by adding words of appreciation and sentiments in your own handwriting.

That is why the cards created by Corinna Ciera are left blank inside. The words you handwrite and express can be cherished indefinitely by the recipient when your unique handmade card is received.

In conclusion, being grateful is more than an occasional saying of "thanks". It is a philosophy that becomes a way of life.

See my retro and modern fashion accessories and creations for the home at

www.corinnaciera.etsy.com