Practicing Gratitude With Heart Disease | MyHeartDiseaseTeam

Connect with others who understand.

sign up log in
Resources
About MyHeartDiseaseTeam
Powered By

Practicing Gratitude With Heart Disease

Posted on November 27, 2019

This time of the year can be overwhelming with expectations around the holidays, and living with heart disease doesn’t make it any easier. One way to find some relief from the pressure and stress is to focus on gratitude. You might find gratefulness in a glimmer of beauty, a positive emotion, someone's smile, a favorite show. Finding something to be thankful for, whether great or small, can help calm your mind and lift your mood.

The evidence of 15 years of research shows that in general, an attitude of gratitude may benefit one's daily well-being, and not just in psychological ways. Some study results even indicate that thankfulness may support physical health as well – improving sleep and heart health, for two examples. Research still has many questions to answer. Are grateful people healthier? Or are healthier people just more grateful? Perhaps people with a thankful perspective on the world are more likely to eat a healthy diet, exercise, follow their doctor’s recommendations, or less likely to smoke? Even with all of the questions that still exist about the impact of gratitude, thankfulness does seem to be connected with better quality of life. Don’t we all want some of that?

Some days, living with heart disease can make it hard to feel thankful. Symptoms like fatigue and managing new lifestyle changes may be frustrating and make daily tasks more challenging. Like most things in life, gratitude can get easier with practice. Setting aside time to practice gratitude can help you get in the habit of looking for things to be thankful for.

Here are some practical ways you can harness positivity in your life:

  • Keep a gratitude journal. Each day, spend five minutes writing about three things that went well for you and why you think they happened.
  • Send thank you notes for gifts or kind acts.
  • For special dear ones, write a letter of gratitude detailing all the ways you are thankful for them.
  • Engage in spiritual acts such as counting blessings or giving thanks.
  • List a few important, positive events in your life, then reflect on what life would have been like without them.
  • Take a short break from a favorite thing – a dessert, a beverage, a type of music, a show – and then when you come back to it again, you’ll remember how much you love it.

Imagine a jar where you could place one thought of gratitude. What would it be? Share what you're grateful for with fellow MyHeartDiseaseTeam members in the comments below.

Posted on November 27, 2019
All updates must be accompanied by text or a picture.

Become a Subscriber

Get the latest articles about heart disease sent to your inbox.

Recent articles

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, you’re likely wondering what your ...

3 Types of Severe Aortic Stenosis Treatments

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, you’re likely wondering what your ...
Your heart is a powerful pump that pushes blood through your body like water flowing through pipe...

8 Severe Aortic Stenosis Symptoms: Dizziness, Heart Murmur, and More

Your heart is a powerful pump that pushes blood through your body like water flowing through pipe...
When living with a complex medical condition like aortic stenosis, you may find yourself with mor...

What Does Your Aortic Stenosis Grade Mean?

When living with a complex medical condition like aortic stenosis, you may find yourself with mor...
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve stenosis), you may be...

Severe Aortic Stenosis Life Expectancy With and Without Treatment

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve stenosis), you may be...
For many people living with heart disease like chronic heart failure, symptoms such as dizziness,...

Disability Benefits With Heart Failure: 5 Essential Tips

For many people living with heart disease like chronic heart failure, symptoms such as dizziness,...
Wondering how to get a good night’s sleep with atrial fibrillation (AFib) can be enough to keep y...

6 Sleep Tips for AFib: Sleep Positions and More

Wondering how to get a good night’s sleep with atrial fibrillation (AFib) can be enough to keep y...
MyHeartDiseaseTeam My heart disease Team

Thank you for subscribing!

Become a member to get even more:

sign up for free

close