Conquer Worry and Anxiety by Daniel G. Amen MD

Author:Daniel G. Amen, MD
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SELF-HELP / Emotions, HEALTH & FITNESS / Healthy Living
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2020-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

The Power of Gratitude

One of the early lessons I learned as a psychiatrist was that I could make nearly anyone cry or feel upset by my questions. If I asked people to think about their worst memories—the times they failed, the incidents where they were most embarrassed, or the day they lost someone they loved—within seconds they would feel bad. But the opposite was also true. If I asked them to think about their happiest moments—the times they succeeded or their experiences of falling in love—they generally started to smile.

Dr. Hans Selye, considered one of the pioneers of stress research, wrote, “Nothing erases unpleasant thoughts more effectively than conscious concentration on pleasant ones.”[12] That’s why if I could bottle gratitude, I would. Gratitude helps direct your attention toward positive feelings and away from negative ones, and the benefits of feeling and expressing gratitude far outweigh almost all the medications I prescribe, without any side effects.

In fact, a wealth of research suggests that a daily practice of gratitude, which can be as simple as writing down several things we’re grateful for every day, can improve our emotions, health, relationships, personalities, and careers.

Focusing on gratitude has been found to increase the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and decrease inflammatory markers;[13] improve depression, stress, and happiness;[14] reduce stress among caregivers;[15] and, among the elderly, significantly decrease state anxiety and depression as well as increase specific memories, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness.[16]

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