Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Monday, July 23, 2018
9 Ways Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Fitter, and Richer
Your parents taught you to mind your manners. You write thank you notes and tip your barista. But there’s more to being grateful than going through the motions. According to numerous studies, true gratitude is a powerful force that can improve your relationships, increase happiness and even boost immunity. Deep down, most of us know this to be true. But we still have trouble taking time from our busy lives to actually stop, reflect and give thanks for what matters most. The good news: Making the effort to get grateful is easier than you’d expect, and it’s way more effective that you might imagine.
Why it pays to be grateful
Spend just minutes each day reflecting on what you’re grateful for and we can pretty much guarantee you’ll see a snowball effect resulting in physical, psychological and social benefits. Here’s the catch: You need to get grateful throughout the year—not just on Thanksgiving.
One study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research confirmed that individuals who had a more grateful outlook got better quality shut eye, stayed asleep longer and required less time to fall asleep than their less grateful peers. Perhaps more impressive, people who spent times focusing on grateful thoughts exercised for 1.5 more hours each week, compared to people who spent time focusing on the hassles in their life, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Plus, at least eight studies have shown that people who express gratitude tend to show fewer symptoms of depression.
RELATED: 5 Yoga Poses to Show Gratitude
A grateful state of mind can help you win big in business, too. Once study conducted at Harvard Business School, found that participants who were prompted to think of a time when they were grateful were less likely to act impulsively when it came to financial choices when compared with people who were prompted to think of something happy or neutral. Gratitude increases our level of patience, researchers suggested.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it,” William Arthur Ward, an American writer, once said. In honor of Thanksgiving, here are nine simple ways to cultivate gratefulness every other day of the year.
10 Easy Ways to Start Being More Grateful
Bust out your old diary
Studies show that people who make weekly gratitude journal entries feel better about their lives and more optimistic about the future. Not into breaking out the pen and paper? Try using an app. We like Five Minute Journal, which prompts you to write down three things you’re grateful for, three things that would make the day awesome and three affirmations (e.g. “I am confident,” “I am kind”) each day.
Write a letter to someone who left a mark
Remember that teacher or professor who helped you explore your passions? Or the coach who gave you the confidence to win that game? Grab some stationary and write out a handwritten thank you. According to Martin Seligman, an internationally renowned psychologist and author of Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Wellbeing, you’ll benefit from the pleasant memories of positive events and people in your life. Plus, your recipient will feel pretty darn great reading about your fond memories of them. If you want to make thank you notes a weekly habit, gratitude-focused subscription service Gramr.us will send you enough paper and envelopes to write four notes a month.
Appreciate the mundane
Once you get into a routine at home, you might start taking your partner or your housemates for granted. It’s easy to overlook daily tasks. But small acts of kindness, (like when a roommate cleans out the fridge without being asked) make your daily life easier. In one study published in Personal Relationships, showing everyday gratitude for these mundane acts helped improve and even strengthen relationships with significant others. Bonus: The effects weren’t just immediate—they lasted for days.
RELATED: 7 DIY Pinterest Projects to Get You Motivated
Bring gratitude to office grouches
Even your sometimes-grumpy boss could use some recognition. One study showed that when powerful, insecure people received gratitude from subordinates, they were less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. The corner office gets lonely, so show them some love and you just might be treated better in the future.
Compliment someone
There’s nothing like being on the receiving end of genuine praise—so why not make someone else’s day? Tell someone he or she looks awesome, did a great job, or rocked a workout. They’ll feel like a million bucks—quite literally. Receiving a compliment lights up the same regions of the brain that get activated when you receive cold hard cash, studies suggest. This region of the brain controls memory and learning, and researchers believe compliments can help us perform better for days after being given praise.
Thank behind-the-scenes people
From waiters and baristas, to cabbies and cleaning men and women, there are lots of people who help your life run smoothly. If someone has provided you a service, take a minute to ask his or her name and let him or her know you wouldn’t be able to function without that cup of coffee or late-night ride home. According to recent research, thanking new acquaintances for help can ensure that they’ll have your back in the future.
RELATED: 6 Scenarios That Stress You Out But Shouldn’t
Give credit where credit’s due
Just finished a big collaborative project at work? Be the one to publicly toot everyone else’s horn. Recognizing how each person contributed to the success of the group will create a sense of community and can make individuals more motivated to bring their A-game next time around, suggests research from psychologists in Japan. Not the type to shout your appreciation from the rooftops? Write someone’s manager a note to report excellent service.
Make it a public affair
Posting on social media or participating in an online gratitude project can help you pay your grateful feelings forward. According to data scientists at Facebook, emotions are contagious on the social network. Post a grateful status update and your friends just might feel more positive. Don’t want to bombard your personal newsfeed every day? At The Gratitude Jar, read why other people around the world are feeling grateful, and add your own positive thoughts to the “jar.” Or, put your blessings on the World Gratitude Map.
RELATED: The 8 Best Apps for Guided Meditation
Put gratitude before gossip
Catching up with friends over a few beers? Instead of immediately ranting about a bad roommate, demanding boss or weird date, start by sharing the positive highlights of your life. Talking through hardships is important, but sharing the good stuff with your buddies can help you feel happier and even help you cope with the truly sucky things that occur.
Gratitude isn’t about believing that life is perfect, writes Robert Emmons in Why Gratitude Is Good. Rather, it’s about identifying happiness when we look at our lives as a whole.
This article originally appeared on Life by DailyBurn.
Jennifer Lopez Posts Ab-Filled Gym Selfie Ahead of Her 49th Birthday
Even her boyfriend, former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, is consistently amazed by her energy.
Jennifer Lopez has her birthday suit ready!
The singer shared an ab-filled gym selfie on Sunday, just a few days ahead of her 49th birthday, which is Tuesday.
“#SundayFunday kind of…,” Lopez posted on Instagram. “Gotta get it in… now let the fun begin!! #birthdayweekbegins”
With her birthday coming up—and an even bigger one next year—the mom of two gets tons of questions about how she manages to look and feel so young.
“Listen, at some point, I’m going to age,” Lopez joked to emmy magazine. “They’ll say, ‘She looks old!’ But, right now, I’m holding it together.”
Even her boyfriend, former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, is consistently amazed by her energy.
“The other day, Alex was across the lawn, and I brought him something, and then I ran away. And he said, ‘You run like you’re 25 years old,’ ” Lopez recalled. “I haven’t stopped that pace, so I’m still at that pace, I guess. When things start aching more, it’ll be different.”
RELATED VIDEO: Jennifer Lopez Jokes She’s ‘Holding It Together’ Ahead of Turning 50: ‘At Some Point I’m Going to Age’
Her intense workout regimen likely helps. The Shades of Blue star does everything from Tracy Anderson classes to boxing to private sessions with trainer — and PEOPLE’s Health Squad member — David Kirsch.
“She’s amazing at everything,” Kirsch, the owner of Madison Square Club, previously told PEOPLE. “She’s genetically blessed, she’s physically gifted with an incredible amount of physical energy, but also this beautiful amount of mental and emotional energy.”
“She’s very connected to her body, and she’s got crazy discipline. And I’m not just saying that — it’s a pleasure to work with someone who is as dialed into her overall wellness as Jennifer is. When she shows up and I get 500 percent. There’s no phoning in the workout.”
How to Become the Type of Person Who Works Out in the Morning
Rise and grind with tips from fitness trainers who’ve already mastered morning workouts.
You plan a workout for the evening, but then something comes up—a happy hour, a deadline for work, or maybe even a Tinder date. And there goes your exercise for the day. If this keeps happening to you, there’s a logical solution: shift your workout schedule to the morning.
But…that’s easier said then done. When you’re barely awake and have to choose between working out and staying in bed for another hour, there’s a good chance the snooze button will win. So how is it that some people manage to get up for 5:30 a.m. workouts like it’s no big deal? We picked the brains of trainers and nutritionists for lifestyle changes you can make to help you become the person who wants to #riseandgrind.
Eat right the night before
The foods you eat the evening before an a.m. sweat session will impact how you feel when you hit the gym. “If you scarfed down mom’s leftover meatloaf and garlic bread at 9 o’clock last night, chances are you’re going to wake up feeling exactly like that—a sluggish loaf of meat,” says Noah Neiman, master trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp in New York City. Make it a point to eat lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats so you wake up feeling replenished, not tired and gross. Just be sure to finish up at least 90 minutes before you hit the hay, says Leslie Bonci, RD, founder of Active Eating Advice and the director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “This gives your stomach some time to digest the food so it’s not having a fiesta while you’re trying to take a siesta.”
Coax yourself to bed earlier
It’ll be easier to get out of bed in the morning if you’ve logged your expert-recommended 7 to 8 hours, so you need to hack your body’s internal wakefulness clock. What does that mean exactly? “The body has an internal circadian rhythm that if you do your best not to disrupt, it makes waking up in the morning much easier,” explains Joe Holder, Nike+ Trainer, Nike Run Coach, and coach at S10 Training in New York City. Translation: Limit cell phone, computer, and TV use before bedtime so the blue light that they emit doesn’t affect your zzz’s.
RELATED: 30 Sleep Hacks for Your Most Restful Night Ever
Find something to look forward to
Excitement will help get you up and out; it can be something as simple as a new playlist. “Your body is a highly adaptable machine that responds to the stimulus you present it,” says Neiman. “If you can self motivate, which is always the strongest form of motivation, and just get to the gym or start your workout every morning; your body will adapt, making it much easier to routinely break that AM sweat.” You could also try snacking on melatonin-rich foods like walnuts and cherries before bed, suggests Bonci. In a 2013 research review, melatonin—a naturally occurring hormone that sets sleep-wave cycles—helped people fall asleep faster.
Have an AM workout buddy
Ask around—you probably have a friend who either already gets up in the morning to work out, or wants to start doing it. Make plans to meet her at the gym or a class, which will hold you accountable. “You’ll be far less likely to bail when you know someone is waiting for you, and you’ll even get the benefit of social interaction, regardless of how quick or sweaty it might be,” says Liz Barnet, head strength instructor at Uplift Studios in New York City.
RELATED: 10 Habits of People Who Love to Work Out
Set up your morning ahead of time
The less you have to think about when the alarm goes off, the better. “Lay out your shoes and clothes in the evening,” says Kristin McGee, celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. “Have a pre-made pre-exercise snack ready to go and set the coffee pot to start brewing at the same time as your alarm.” (We love this overnight oats recipe.) Once you’re out of bed, everything is ready for you.
5 Fitness Influencers Share The Words They Live By
Something as small as a phrase (or mantra) can be enough to power you through a tough, butt-kicking workout, or just a bad day. We may not realize it, but how we speak to ourselves is crucial to our self-confidence, self-love, and overall happiness, so it’s best to have an arsenal of positive thoughts at the ready, instead of turning to negative ones that cause us to self-implode. We asked some of our favorite fitness gurus for their personal mantras that help to lift them up no matter the circumstance. Check them out in the video above.
Anna Victoria, fitness influencer and founder of the Body Love app, tells Health, “My mantra is to let my struggles empower me, instead of overpower me.” Victoria reminds herself that even when nothing is going right (hey, we’ve been there), ups and downs are just part of life. Times of struggle are not necessarily a result of doing something wrong; they exist so that we learn a lesson.
Performance specialist and health consultant Joe Holder shares his multi-faceted mantra with us. He says that if you’re always being of service to others then you’ll be of service to yourself. In getting caught up in our own problems, we don’t see what others around us are going through. Practicing meditation has helped remind Holder to stay grounded in generosity each day.
Nike master trainer Kirsty Godso’s personal mantra is centered on patience and perspective. She says that it’s OK to take a break; it’s not an excuse to be lazy, but a chance to recover. She also stresses that you shouldn’t bully yourself. “How we speak to ourselves is so important, and we can’t give to others what we can’t first give to ourselves.”
“You’re exactly where you need to be,” says fitness expert Katie Austin. She confesses that she used to compare herself to other successful women in her industry on social media in a negative way. Now, she focuses on living in the present.
Simone De La Rue, a fitness trainer and founder of Body By Simone, shares that her mantra is being a vision of health and beauty. You can have all the material things in the world, but what are we without our health? De La Rue stresses that it’s important to be able to look in the mirror and appreciate ourselves and have no negative thoughts. It’s all about self-love.