We hear it all the time. 

Practice gratitude. Be thankful for what you have. 

The evidence is clear. Being grateful does offer numerous scientifically proven benefits. 

From improved relationships to decreased physical pain to better sleep to increased happiness and self-esteem, it makes sense why gratitude is good for you. 

In fact, it’s one of the keys to leading an abundant life full of what you desire and deserve. 

But gratitude is not just about “thinking” and being thankful for all the good things. 

In fact, this is one of the biggest mistakes I see people making with gratitude. 

One minute you’re grateful, and the next you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed again.

Gratitude is not just something you write in a morning journal and check-off your list. 

Gratitude is about embodiment. 

It’s an experience of the body and heart. It’s about FEELING it in your body. 

Having gone through many years of intense training to reach our professional goals, healthcare providers are smart intellectual people. 

We’re good at “thinking.” Our brains work well. 

Unfortunately, it also means that we have a very active mind and we’ve often lost connection with our body. 

As I shared in my TEDx talk, our body has its own intelligence. It talks to us. We need to pay attention to these messages. 

It’s time to reconnect our mind and body and take an integrative approach in order to truly be well and live with ease.

 

And if you’re ready to uplevel your gratitude practice, consider being thankful for EVERY single thing. 

It’s easy to be grateful when things are going well. But what about when things AREN’T working? 

Can you still be grateful for your life and experiences? 

Those patients who are always late and demanding with numerous doorknob questions. The administrators who keep “encouraging” you to see and do more procedures. The insurance companies who make you jump through hoops completing paperwork to get medications and procedures approved. And yes, even the days that suck when you stay way too late having to miss your child’s soccer practice because you’re trying to finish notes on time. 

Why? 

Because everything in life happens for a reason. 

Gratitude is one of the best ways to become present to your life. 

Being present means you are living in the now. 

It’s the only time you have control over. 

It’s the only time that really counts. 

And when you are open to what is, your world opens. 

You no longer worry or fear. 

Because you know that you can handle it. 

So how can you bring more gratitude into your life today? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you and support your journey to wellness and ease. 

This article originally appeared on KevinMD (here) in December 2022.

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