Every year, at this time?around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, a conversation takes place in homes everywhere.
It goes something like this:
‘Why is there a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day every year? ?Why isn’t there a ‘Kid’s Day’?’
You know the typical response.
‘Because EVERY DAY day is Kid’s Day!!’
Sound familiar?
Well, maybe we ought to consider REALLY making every day ‘Kid’s Day’. ?They are, after all, helping us to be happier and healthier!
In today’s issue of the The University of California, Riverside Highlander, Dean Mayorga reports that “a series of studies conducted by researchers from UC Riverside, Stanford University and the University of British Columbia have found that parenting is associated with higher feelings of happiness and ?meaning? than non-parents. ”
Combine that with everything we are learning about the importance of gratitude, like an article in the Washington Times yesterday, research is showing that gratitude is proving to be a key component of health. ?In one study, ?Dr. Robert Emmons?divided his study participants into three groups. ?He asked one group to write down what they were grateful for, another group to note their gripes, while a third to note anything that was notable to them. ?Emmons discovered, writes Eric Nelson, “that those in the gratitude group generally felt better about their lives, were more optimistic about the future and reported fewer health problems than the other participants.”
The gripes can be the easiest to notice – most of us know that already (and that can be particularly true for parents). ?Well, the good new is, that can be changed! ?Emmons’ studies show that people who regularly (daily) practice gratitude reap the greatest rewards – and, like other discoveries in neuroscience about how much more control we have over our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – there is evidence that you can increase your ‘gratitude meter’ with regular practice!
So, get out there and thank your kids … today and every day!
And, do not fear, non-parents! ?You can still benefit by expressing gratitude to anyone in your life that matters to you (any ‘meaningful’ relationship works!).? Even if you do not tell them (although that is a very good idea), make note of your gratitude in a journal…and you’ll reap the same health and happiness rewards as we grateful parents!
Deri Latimer, B Mgt, CSP, is an expert in positive possibilities for people! She is one of fewer than 10% of speakers globally who hold the designation of Certified Speaking Professional. Deri combines a Business degree in Human Resources with experience from business sectors including health care, manufacturing, education, agriculture, government, mining, transportation, tourism, and professional services. Deri provides practical strategies for mental health ‘at work’; impacting individuals and organizations?to increase resilience to change, energize engagement with the organization, and propel meaningful performance results that last!??www.derilatimer.com
