How Gratefulness Can Create Real Change in Your Family Life

Reframing your mindset through the lens of gratitude may be the best thing you can do for your family -and yourself!

Taking care of yourself doesn't just involve working out and eating right. It also means having an "attitude of gratitude." Thoughts of gratitude in daily life can have significant benefits for your physical and mental health, which will also impact your family.

Showing gratitude has been proven to enhance people's attitudes toward life and how they feel daily. A study conducted at the University of Miami had one set of participants journal daily the things they appreciated for ten weeks. They compared these subjects to a group of people who journaled about things that irritated them at the same time. The results were shocking. Those with the gratitude journals "were more optimistic and felt better about their lives." Additionally, they "exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation. Another study on gratitude at the University of Pennsylvania showed exercising gratitude had benefits that lasted months. The positive effects of gratitude are clear and should be implemented daily.

There is a multitude of things we can be grateful for. We live in an increasingly inclusive world. Moreover, there is a new openness to learning and supporting the neuro-divergent community. We can also be grateful for our specific circumstances, such as our children's achievements and how much we have watched them grow and develop. Simple things, such as a smile or an endearing gesture, are also sources of gratitude if you can appreciate them.

We encourage you to write down three things you are grateful for-you might be surprised how easy it is to think of more once you start. We at ACES are thankful to be a part of the ASD community and wish you Happy Thanksgiving!