Below are 5 great reasons why Being Grateful will help you get better manage over the next few months:

1.    Research has shown that being thankful is good for our physical health and offers us improved immune systems and better heart health (A 1995 study in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that appreciation and positive emotions are linked with changes in heart rate variability. This may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension and in reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease). Protecting our immune system is vitally important right now and our thoughts impact it directly. In addition to our thoughts, adding more sleep, exercise and more foods high in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc and iron will be beneficial and protective according to scientific studies and recommendations.

2.     Research shows being grateful helps reduces stress and anxiety. We need to ensure we get enough sleep as well so I am also giving away a large number of seats to access my Stress Management Guru course.  Below is the direct link to the video and hand-outs for your members.

3.     Being a grateful and appreciative boss also fosters much higher team morale which is critical to keep staff motivated and engaged for successful outcomes at work during this crisis. Staff and more likely to experience higher life satisfaction and team satisfaction when they are grateful. Employees are more committed and productive when they know that you are thankful to have them on your team. 

4.     Being grateful draws success into our lives. When you are grateful, others like to be around you. Your appreciation includes and supports them. You help them see the positive in life and to feel more hopeful about the possibility of future success. Customers and prospects love to feel that you are grateful for    their business; it creates strong bonds of loyalty and mutual support. Great resources and partners of all sorts are attracted to you when they feel appreciated for who they are and what they bring to the party. Now is a time to reach out with empathy and support to clients and candidates and show you care about them. To help maintain a positive outlook, try sitting outside if you have a garden. If you don't have access to the outdoors, make sure you open your curtains and windows to get some fresh air. You can also practicing mindfulness -- for example by seeking out calming music that can comfort you or practicing deep breathing to stay calm and grounded.

5.     Being grateful can help you from being overwhelmed by negative emotions that come with loss of any kind. When you can focus on any reason to be grateful even during very difficult times, you will come out stronger and more resilient after you work through this crisis. Try Seek out information that will uplift, entertain or educate you on a variety of topics instead of going into panic mode on this situation. The internet is a boundless resource of information and education and if you have membership, you can access thousands of movies and series via services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. You might want to avoid too much drama right now that's going to make you sad and focus on positive forms of entertainment as there is enough negative news drama in the real world at the moment.

Below are some easy action steps you can take to encourage calm and gratitude in your life right now:

1. Wake up each day and spend 1- minute thinking of all the reasons you have to be grateful even if the list starts off small. Over time you will see how it grows. Anything goes and you can be grateful for air, water, your comfy bed, food, friends or just the cup of coffee in your hand if you want. It is up to you and you make the rules here. Try it each day for at least 30 days and see if you notice a difference.
2. Write down “BE GRATEFUL” or “BE THANKFUL” and post it places you can see it like on your fridge, at work, beside your bed or on a bathroom mirror you use every day to give a visual reminder of your goal.
3. Develop a healthy routine that works for remote working. Create a balance of work and home time and be kind and considerate to your co-workers as we are all more stressed.
4. Reduce time spend on scrolling through social media or watching TV and replace it with time outdoors, exercise and taking care of yourself and your family
5. Think of a skill you would like to learn like gardening, improving your Emotional Intelligence, grasping technology tools etc. and sign up for a free or low-cost course or read a book on the topic. This is a good time to “sharpen your saw” and the learning will distract you and give your day increased meaning.
6. Spend more time with family and connect more with friends using video-conferencing and phone calls. Remember this too shall pass and we will be able to remember the time we spend with each other as one of the key blessings.

Stay healthy and well and be grateful for each day.