Gratitude.  At this time of year it starts to sounds so cliché.  “Yeah, of course I’m grateful for everything in my life blah, blah, blah,” you likely scoff.

But what really is gratitude anyway?  Why is everyone making it such a THING?  What does it DO?  And what in the world does it have to do with autoimmune disease?

I’m so glad you asked.

Gratitude is simply the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself, representing a general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation.  According to Dr. Robert Emmons, gratitude involves two parts:  First, the acknowledgement of goodness in one’s life.  Second, recognition that sources of this goodness lie outside of one’s self.  So essentially we must see what is good AND see that someone or something else is responsible for it.  Sounds easy enough.

The research affirming the mind-body connection between gratitude and the physiological changes it elicits is growing all the time and the field of positive psychology has exploded around it.

For people living with autoimmune disease, gratitude offers some particularly exciting physical benefits.  Gratitude:

1.  Produces endorphins.

People with autoimmune disease typically have lower levels of endorphins, and endorphins play a role in immune system modulation.  Endorphins can lower inflammation, help in pain management, and can ease anxiety and depression.  Known as the “runner’s high” hormone, endorphins are typically associated with exercise but gratitude has been shown to release endorphins, too.  Now that sounds like something to be grateful for!

2.  Lowers depression.

Depression and anxiety are common for people living with autoimmune disease.  Gratitude not only shifts our thinking from negative to more positive, but it also elicits a surge of feel-good hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in addition to the endorphins.  In other words, being grateful makes us happy!

3.  Decreases stress.

Stress puts our bodies into “fight or flight” mode shutting down normal functions like digestion and creative thought while ramping up cortisol and adrenaline production.  Excess cortisol breaks down the lining of your gut wall contributing to leaky gut, a precursor to autoimmune disease.  Excess cortisol also interferes with your sleep (wide awake at 3am, anyone?) and causes weight gain in the midsection.

Gratitude pretty much reverses all of the stress effects.  It’s been shown to lower cortisol, lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability, improve blood vessel function, and lower hemoglobin A1C.

4.  Improves digestion.

Low stomach acid and poor digestion cause leaky gut and impaired nutrient absorption while creating an environment where bacteria and yeast can overgrow.  Gratitude puts our bodies into the parasympathetic state where blood flow returns to the digestive track, improving gut motility and allowing for the secretion of stomach acid.  There’s a reason it’s called the “rest and digest” state!

5.  Improves sleep.

Poor sleep increases inflammation and overstimulates the immune system – exactly what we don’t want to do with autoimmune disease.  Studies have shown gratitude to improve sleep up to 76% in people with insomnia and it creates more restful and higher quality sleep in others.  Sleep is just as important as diet in reversing autoimmune disease and gratitude can help make it happen.

The best part about a gratitude practice is that it’s easy and accessible to everyone, at any time.  A client I worked with found that she enjoyed thinking of three things she was grateful for first thing in the morning before she got out of bed.  She shared that those few moments feeling deep appreciation set her state and allowed her to enjoy more peaceful mornings.  I know many who like to end their day and transition to rest with a moment of gratitude.  Experiment and find what feels best for you.

Here are a few simple ideas to try:

  • Start a gratitude journal. Get in the habit of writing down the moments of appreciation regularly.  Whether it’s daily, weekly, or in the moment as things occur the act of writing it out naturally gives you a moment of pause and contemplation.  And if the convenience of your phone or tablet makes this easier, keep a list a there.
  • Send someone a thank you note. You get to feel the gratitude and the recipient gets to feel the appreciation and your joy over their actions.  Be specific and include how they made you feel and what their act meant to you.
  • Tell someone you love and appreciate them. Sincerely thank the barista who dug the coconut milk out for you, or the kind soul who held the door.  Speak from your heart when you tell your loved ones you love them and take it a step further and get specific.  “I love and appreciate that you always have my very best interests at heart!”
  • Notice and appreciate the beauty in nature. Whether it’s the beautiful colors of the leaves or how the snow lines each branch of a tree, Mother Nature paints the most beautiful pictures.
  • Share your gratitude with others. I’ve seen daily gratitude posts on Facebook and know families that go around the table before dinner sharing something they appreciate.  Like begets like and what you put out comes back often multiplied, so put it out into the world!

If this is all new to you, start small.  Close your eyes and simply think of someone or something you appreciate.  Feel the emotion of gratitude in your heart and just pause for a moment there.  That’s it.  Do it again sometime soon and you officially have the beginnings of a gratitude practice.

With all of the things we do to reverse autoimmunity, gratitude is one of the easiest and it immediately impacts how we feel.

I am so happy and grateful to have such a powerful tool right here within me.

Ah, that feels nice.

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