Once a year, we gather with family and friends for a feast. While turkey and all the trimmings are the main event, giving thanks is the true star of the show. Did you know that the simple act of feeling thankful is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself?

Here’s a closer look at why Thanksgiving (and gratitude, in general) are so good for you.

Confidence
Family meals like Thanksgiving are about so much more than the turkey. While Aunt Martha and Uncle Joe chitter-chatter about the proper technique for cooking a bird, other family members chew the fat on the news or “check in” with each other. According to psychologists, all this delightful conservation adds up to an amazing batch of lifelong mental-health benefits, helping family members to feel more confident, centered, and resilient in life.

Physical Health
While Thanksgiving is only one day a year, we’d be wise to adopt an attitude of gratitude year-round. Gratitude is associated with a wide range of health benefits, such as lowering stress and improving sleep. Grateful people are also more likely to exercise, visit the doctor less, and report feeling fewer aches and pains.

Happiness
Gratitude is a proven mood booster. Multiple studies conducted by leading gratitude researcher Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., have established a strong link between gratitude and happiness. Feeling grateful helps curb negative emotions that weigh you down, including envy, resentment and frustration, freeing you up to focus on positive thoughts and actions. In fact, grateful people are more likely to be kind and generous to others, and experience higher levels of empathy and sensitivity.

All of us at the Branford Community Foundation are grateful for the support of our board members, volunteers, and donors. Without your help, BCF couldn’t fulfill its mission of helping to improve and sustain a high quality of life for our community.

Have a happy and healthful Thanksgiving!

To learn more about BCF, please call 203.444.4898 or visit our Ways to Give page today.