The Secret to Better Sleep & A Happier, Longer Life

Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve been privileged to join in the celebrations with our friends and family in the States on a few occasions. To me, it’s a lovely celebration – just a great time to be with the people you love and to give thanks for all the good things in your life. But giving thanks for your good fortune is more than just a day’s pleasantry.
If you’ve had a session with me or come to one of my workshops, you’ll know that one of the first tips I’ll give you about reducing stress, improving happiness and health is to make a list of things to be grateful for and study them each day. Well, that’s all very nice, you may think, but why would I bother taking the time? What’s it really going to do for me?

Well, don’t just take it from me. A newsletter from Vic Johnson alerted me to a study of 161 people published in the journal of Psychosomatic Research which concluded that those who focus on what they have—not what they lack—fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Grateful people are also less tired and more functional during the day.
But why would being grateful affect your sleep? The researchers found that this was related to the thoughts people had as they drifted off. Being thankful led to faster, deeper sleep. “People who are feeling more grateful are less tense and anxious, because the two are incompatible,” says Norah Vincent Ph.D. “A mental state like that at bedtime would be helpful for your sleep.”

And gratitude does a lot more for you than just helping you get a good night’s sleep. Study after study has confirmed that people who practice an attitude of gratitude are likely to live longer, are happier people and enjoy better health. In addition, this practice helps you get through the ‘humps and bumps’ in life with greater resilience.
So make it Thanksgiving Day every day. Sit dow
TODAY and write out a list of all the things you’re grateful for today. Think of all the things that make you fortunate in life. For example, if you have plenty to eat and drink, have a home, a job and running water, you’re doing better than two-thirds of the rest of the world. If you have a healthy, fit body with all your senses and organs functioning normally, you’re better off than a lot of people. If you have friends and family around you who you love and who love you, you’re a lucky person.
Think of all the things we simply take for granted and start to notice how many things in your life you can be grateful for. Make it a daily practice to reflect on your list of things that make you fortunate, no matter what’s going on.

Doesn’t the world look a better place and don’t you feel better when you focus on what you have, rather than what’s missing? This is the secret to better sleep and a longer, happier life - enjoy it!

Thank you for being interested in your health and wellbeing and for listening to what I have to say. I hope it’s helpful.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving today and every day!

With love

Annie x