“Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health, and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.” Joseph Addison

After a holiday season filled sweets, relaxation, and football, many of us are resolving to improve our health in 2009. While resolving to work out for an hour every day and resolving to eat healthier are both beneficial-resolving to have a better attitude has more health benefits than we may have ever realized.

Suppose that thankfulness was not only one of our most important positive emotions, but that it was one that links directly to physical and mental well-being. Suppose it was in our self-interest to feel gratitude because it was good for us. Surprisingly, that is exactly what researchers are finding. Choosing to be thankful for what we have can significantly improve our emotional wellness, which can also positively affect our physical wellness.

Robert Emmons, who is a professor of psychology at University of California Davis, is currently researching to determine the benefits of gratitude on weight management and overall heart health. He has observed that being thankful is not only emotionally valuable, but also has physical benefits, such as lower blood pressure.

According to other recent research, people who are more thankful tend to:

Be protected against various negative health behaviors.

Have higher energy levels, more optimism, less stress, and better sleep.

Be at lower risk for disorders including depression, phobias and alcoholism.

Be in better physical health, exercise more regularly, and be happier overall.

So how are these benefits achieved? The key is recognizing and emphasizing the good while devaluing the bad. Emmons comments, “To say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our lives is necessarily great,it just means we are aware of our blessings.”

Some attitude of gratitude tips:

Keep a thankfulness journal: take a few minutes a day to reflect on things you are grateful for.

Surround yourself with positive people.

Write someone a letter of thanks. Deliver it in person for an added bonus!

Practice looking for the good in every situation and in every person you meet.

Our overall health is comprised of more than just the physical and emotional dimensions already discussed. There are seven dimensions all together with mental, social, environmental, spiritual and occupational making up the difference. The New Year is a good time to check our own wheel of personal wellness dimensions. As the hub,we need strive to for good balance in our spokes in order to achieve optimal personal health and wellness.

Saying “thanks”, it turns out, isn’t just polite. It’s good for us! Starting today-say a word of “thanks” as your feet hit the floor each-and-every day. See just what a difference an attitude of gratitude can make. Have a thankful, healthy and happy 2009!