What are you grateful for today?

Thanksgiving: It's the time of year to celebrate what we're thankful for.� However, we don't have to relegate our gratitude to one day a year.� Developing an �attitude of gratitude� in your everyday is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life. The benefits of a regular gratitude practice are nearly endless, but here are five to consider:

1) �Gratitude improves your health.�Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people.� They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check ups with their doctors (which can contribute to longevity).� In addition, gratitude reduces many toxic emotions, ranging from envy, comparison and resentment, to frustration and regret.� It's not surprising, then, that being grateful increases happiness and reduces depression.

2) �A regular gratitude practice improves your ability to cope. Learning to see the good in your life even when hard times come is a powerful coping strategy.

3) �Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend a few minutes before bed jotting down a few grateful sentiments and you may fall asleep easier, along with sleeping better and longer.

4) �Gratitude makes you a more effective manager.� Whether you're managing a team at work or at home, gratitude can improve your ability to lead.� Effective management requires many skills. While criticism and judgement come all too easily for most, the ability to express gratitude and praise is often lacking.� Timely, sincere, specific praise is often a more powerful method of influencing change than criticism.� Expressions of gratitude can be highly motivating, while criticism can be de-motivating.� Cultivate an attitude of gratitude and see what you can do.

5) �Gratitude�feels good � surprise, surprise - gratitude simply feels good, and when you feel good you're more likely to do a whole host of other things. �

Not sure where to start your gratitude practice?� Here are a couple of ideas:

Say thanks. Send a text. Write an email or compose a hand-written letter.� Best of all: Say it face-to-face. Tell someone "thank you" from the heart today and see how good it makes you feel.

Keep a gratitude journal.� Every evening before bed, jot down three to five things that you are grateful for. They can be big things or simple ones � the key is that they're different every day. �

Go forth, and be grateful.

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