Stroke/Neurological Support Group—Showing Gratitude

It has been such a wonderful experience having so many coming to our meetings and getting the opportunity to find encouragement, friendship, new information, and listen to an informative talk by a speaker. We should always stop and give thanks for the daily moments of appreciation, joy, happiness, laughter, and positive things that occur in our lives each day.

It is important for each of us to make expressing gratitude part of daily living throughout the year. Why? Research shows that gratitude has an immense more positive effect on physical and mental health. It becomes quite obvious that by reducing emotions like stress, your frustration and anger will vanish, while improving your mental and physical well-being. Now research also shows that expressing gratitude and appreciation has a direct positive effect on sleep, well-being, depression, and disease.

We encourage you to express gratitude toward friends and family, because doing so profoundly affects emotional and physical well-being. Also, what’s extremely helpful is keeping a gratitude journal. All of these expressions of gratitude have shown that people will more than likely exercise more regularly, have fewer physical needs overall, and feel better about their lives as a whole. People who write in a gratitude journal were even more optimistic about the up-and-coming days. Those practicing gratitude were also more likely to have made better progress with their trouble sleeping.

Suggested Resources:

American Parkinson Disease Association, Southern Arizona, 520-326-5400

Alzheimer’s Association, Desert Southwest Chapter, 520-322-6601

Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens, 520-870-0962

Senior Village of SaddleBrooke, 520-314-1042

Please feel free to reach out to Esta Goldstein at 520-825-1181 or [email protected] for help or just to talk.