(Cover Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash) I fully share Jo’s belief that real health comes in the form of not only food, but also a positive and helpful mindset. Jo has just published a book called Love Life, Stress Less, with 56 pep talks to help us reframe some of the anxieties of every day life. In the book, Jo shows that managing every day stress doesn’t have to be difficult as it’s the little things that can change your whole outlook and can crush constant worrying. I generally read a few of her uplifting and easy to read chapters before bed for a peaceful sleep. After you’ve read what Jo’s got to say about gratitude below, please do also check out Jo’s book on Amazon, her gorgeous recipes and other interesting health articles on her blog Comfort Bites and give her a follow on Instagram. **** The tiny action of shifting your mindset and taking time to consciously think about why you’re grateful for things – however weird it first feels – could have a huge impact on your health and wellbeing. Time for some science. A 2009 study by Wood, Joseph, Lloyd and Atkins found that those who practised gratitude experienced more positive, gentle thoughts in the moments before sleep and also slept longer and more soundly. Another study found that grateful people were more likely to report positive emotions and more satisfaction in their lives, and were less likely to feel jealous, anxious and depressed (McCullough, Emmons and Tsang, 2002). And there are a whopping 137 studies which correlate gratitude with improved health – including things like lower blood pressure, a more efficient immune system and better coping mechanisms for long-term illness (Happier Human, 2020). How amazing is that? And the best part about it is that practising gratitude is easy to do, you can do it right now this second and it’s totally free. It’s best to get into the habit of practising gratitude at least once a day, at first. You might need to force it a little bit in the beginning. Eventually it will come so naturally that you won’t realise you’re even doing it. Designate a time of day that’s usually quiet for you to think up five things that you feel grateful or lucky to have, and list them to yourself. You can list them in your head or write them down – whatever works best. For me, it might be that the sky looks a gorgeous, deep shade of blue, which makes me feel happy. It might be a warm, comforting hug that I received from a loved one the day before. The support of your friends and family. That there’s food in your fridge, or that you have a job that supports you. It might even be that there’s oxygen in the air you breathe. Simple, right? And it doesn’t matter how low you might feel, there is always something you can find to be grateful for. And once you start, you’ll find your mood instantly soften and you’ll feel uplifted and more calm. All good. But there are even greater benefits of this in the long term. The more you notice the positive things that surround you, the less you notice – or are bothered by – the irritating or annoying things. Your attention will shift, and you’ll start to find joy where you never even noticed it before. A squirrel that scampers down a tree in front of you to pick up an acorn. Fluffy, cotton-wool clouds spanning the sky. The way the cool rain makes the grass a sudden brighter shade of green, and freshens up the air. A big, twinkly star that you find out is actually a supermassive planet that you can see from your own window, orbiting and spinning over a hundred million miles away. All this fosters a sense of joy and awe, and this acts like a snowball, elevating your mood, lowering your stress and improving your mental and physical health. Just start with five things. Ready? **** To find out how powerful diet, nutrition, lifestyle and mindset can be for our health, please book your free 20 minute no-obligation discovery call with Minna and let’s have a chat. You can also contact me via the contact form or [email protected]. Join my FREE Facebook Group Healthy You – For Life for health and nutrition tips and advice and delicious healthy recipes.Why You Need to Practice Gratitude, and How to Do It
This guest post is by my lovely friend, Jo Romero, a health blogger, food photographer and author who kindly provided this article on why and how we all should practice gratitude every day. In these unprecedented times of coronavirus-induced self-isolation, social distancing and lockdown, a lot of worry, fear, anxiety and stress is spreading across the globe in a speed we’ve probably never seen before. It’s never been more important to look after our mental wellbeing by including stress- and anxiety-reducing mindset practices into our daily lives, and gratitude practice can be an easy one to include, as Jo shows below. 
Why You Need to Practice Gratitude, and How to Do It
It might seem a bit weird, this ‘practising gratitude’ stuff. You might not feel like doing it at all if you’re a bit down, or you might not even know what it is. And if you do know what it is, you might think there’s no point. But there totally is a point. And this is why you should do it.
So how do you do it?
Go.
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