By GIVE THANKS
Make a Gratitude List
Write down 10 things in your life that you’re grateful for. It might be your family, the other nurses on your unit, the chance to make a difference in people’s lives, your new iPad, your dog… you get the idea. You can think long and hard about it or just put down the first ten things that come to mind. Then read that list every day for thirty days and reflect on the things you’re grateful for. We’re talking about a time investment of less than three minutes a day. The energy you put into these thoughts of gratitude and appreciation will come back to you many, many times over
In fact, in studies on gratitude, subjects who were instructed to keep journals that spelled out what they were grateful for, showed higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality and optimism and lower levels of depression and stress then those who didn’t. The gratitude group also reported better quality sleep, less pain, were more likely to exercise regularly and were more likely to have made progress toward achieving important personal goals. That’s a formula for high energy.
Adapted with permission from The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy, Fair Winds Press, © Jonny Bowden, jonnybowden.com.
