IT THE
STREETS TO FIND OUT HOW -- ONE
THING I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE,
THOUGH, ABOUT THE ELECTION IS
I'M OF GRATEFUL THAT IT WILL BE
OVER REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME.
AND GRATITUDE IS SOMETHING THAT
IS IMPORTANT IN EVERYDAY LIFE,
BUT AS WE HEAD INTO
THANKSGIVING, OF COURSE, IT IS
CERTAINLY TIME TO GIVE THANKS.
>> Mark: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
GRATITUDE IT IS INTERESTING
BECAUSE IT HELPS YOUR MIND IN A
POSITIVE WAY, BUT ALSO YOUR
BODY.
HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT IS DOCTOR
ALLOWAY.
WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Eden: WE ALWAYS ASK YOU
ABOUT ANXIETY AND STRESS RELIEF
AND SOMEHOW GRATITUDE WORKS ITS
WAY INTO EVERY ANSWER.
SO WHY NOT TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO
HAVE A CONVERSATION COMPLETELY
ABOUT GRATITUDE?
>> I THINK WHAT IS REALLY
EXCITING IS THAT WE CAN THINK OF
GRATITUDE IN THREE WAYS.
WE CAN THINK ABOUT IT IN THE
PAST SO WE ARE THANKFUL FOR OUR
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.
WE CAN THINK ABOUT IT IN THE
PRESENT TO BE PRESENT-FOCUSED
AND WE CAN ALSO THINK ABOUT IT
IN THE FUTURE.
IN MY RECENT STUDY I FOUND THAT
WHEN WE SURVEYED OVER 2,000
ADULTS THE I WAS THE SENSE OF
OPTIMISM THAT WAS A BUFFER
AGAINST DEPRESSION.
SO THE MORE OPTIMISTIC YOU ARE
ABOUT THE FUTURE, THE MORE
GRATEFUL YOU ARE LOOKING AHEAD,
THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO
EXPERIENCE DEPRESSION.
>> Mark: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE
CAN EXPRESS GRATITUDE?
>> A GREAT WAY IS TO PHYSICALLY
WRITE A LETTER.
WHEN PEOPLE TOOK TIME TO WRITE A
LETTER THEY EXPERIENCED
GRATITUDE THAT LASTED UP TO
MONTH.
>> Mark: IT IS A LOST ART AND
YOU HAVE SOMETHING PHYSICALLY
FOR THE PERSON TO HOLD ON SO
THEY CAN KEEP PULLING IT UP.
>> WE FEEL BETTER AND IT
CHANGES OUR BRAIN.
IT REWIRES THE WAY WE THINK.
PARTS OF OUR BRAIN ASSOCIATED
WITH EMOTIONAL CONTROL IS BEING
ACTIVATED WHEN WE ARE EXPRESSING
GRATITUDE.
THIS IS A PERSISTENT ACTIVATION.
IT LASTS.
IT IS NOT JUST A ONE-OFF THING
WHICH MAKES US FEEL MORE SOCIAL,
ENGAGE AND HELP OTHERS.
>> Eden: AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE SHOW WE SPOKE ABOUT A STUDY
THAT SAYS THE MORE YOU WORRY THE
MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET SICK.
I'M ASSUMING THAT GRATITUDE IS
THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
OTHER PHYSICAL BENEFITS?
>> WE ARE LESS WILL LIKELY TO
VISIT A MEDICAL DOCTOR WHEN WE
ARE EXPRESSING GRATITUDE.
IT IS GREAT FOR RELATIONSHIPS.
STUDIES FOUND WHEN WE TAKE TIME
TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO A LOVED
ONE WE FEEL BETTER TOWARDS OUR
PARTNER, BUT WE FEEL MORE MORE
OPEN TO EXPRESS ISSUES AND TALK
OPENLY.
>> Mark: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO
PRACTICE GRATITUDE?
>> KEEPING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
IS ONE AND COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.
END OR START THE DAY THINKING
ABOUT ONE OR TWO THINGS FOR
WHICH YOU ARE GRATEFUL.
>> Eden: WHAT ABOUT WRITE A
THANK YOU NOTE?
>> WE TALKED ABOUT THAT
EARLIER.
A LOT OF STUDIES SHOW THAT
WRITING THAT LETTER IS
IMPORTANT, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE
TIME TO WRITE, EVEN MENTALLY
THANKING SOMEONE CAN BE HELPFUL.
>> Eden: THESE ARE UP ON THE
SCREEN NOW.
THE ONE I THINK PEOPLE ARE MORE
LIKELY TO DO ARE THE PHYSICAL
ONES AN MAYBE NOT EVEN GET IT
THROUGH THEIR HEAD MENTALLY.
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED THAT
WHERE -- MAYBE I'M OUTWARDLY
SAYING THANK YOU, BUT I'M NOT
THINKING IT AS MUCH AS I SHOULD.
>> CHILDREN DO THAT A LOT.
WE FIND IN OUR TEENS WE TEND TO
HAVE A MORE PESSIMISTIC
ATTITUDE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR EMOTIONAL
MATURITY.
>> Mark: IS THIS SOMETHING TO
INTRODUCE WITH YOUNGER KIDS?
A LOT OF TIMES THEY FORGET HOW
FORTUNATE THEY ARE.
IF YOU REMIND THEM SOMETIMES IT
IS THAT LITTLE BEAT, THAT PAUSE
THEY TAKE AND THEY ARE LIKE, YOU
KNOW WHAT, YOU ARE RIGHT.
START THEM AT A YOUNG AGE
BECAUSE OF THE POSITIVE
ATTRIBUTES YOU HAVE.
>> THINK OF GRATITUDE AS A
MUSCLE.
WHEN WE CREATE IT YOUNG WE HAVE
IT IN PLACE FROM A YOUNGER AGE
AND IT WILL HELP US THROUGHOUT
LIFE.
>> Eden: I THINK THERE ARE SO
MANY PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD BE
GRATEFUL JUST FOR COMING INTO
CONTACT WITH THEM.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE SO MANY
THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR, JUST
WHETHER IT IS MATERIAL OR YOUR
HEALTH, BUT WHAT ABOUT SOMEBODY
WHO TRULY HAS SOME STUFF GOING
ON?
HOW CAN THEY BE GRATEFUL?
MAYBE IT IS A HEALTH THING,
FINANCIALLY, THEY HAVE IT BAD.
>> PEOPLE COPING WITH ANXIETY
OR DEPRESSION AND THEY FIND WHEN
THAT IS COUPLED WITH COUNSELING,
THAT EVEN EXPRESSING A SINGLE
THOUGHT OF GRATITUDE OR TAKING
TEN MINUTES TO WRITE A NOTE
THINKING OF SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE
THAT YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR, THAT
MAKES MORE DIFFERENCE THAN
COUNTING ALONE.
>> Mark: THANKS FOR COMING ON.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE
THANKFUL FOR GO TO OUR FACEBOOK
PAGE, RIVER CITY LIVE TV, AND
POST.
IT IS GOOD TO POST AND TALK
ABOUT IT.
WRITE SOMETHING YOU RECALL
GRATEFUL FOR.
>> Eden: IF YOU WANT TO LEARN