Hello November

November is one of my favorite months. There are many reasons, but one of the big ones is probably because it’s my birthday month. I enjoy my birthday, it’s always a reminder to me that a year has passed and I have survived 365 days of what life had to throw at me. I can’t wait for my birthday this year because 2020 has been a doozy.

November has another holiday as well, one that many people celebrate, Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we are reminded to appreciate and be grateful for what we have. I am grateful for many things in my life, all of the opportunities I have had, a wonderful job that helps pay my bills, a dog that is always happy to see me, food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in, as well as countless other things.

I am grateful for all of these things, and while that is important, it’s also important to be grateful for the people you have. Being able to share experiences and connect emotions with another human being is a beautiful part of life. I think it’s easy for us to take the relationships in our life for granted. Thanksgiving, spending time with loved ones, is always a reminder to me to be thankful for those that are around.

There are many people in my life I am grateful for — my family, friends, and I am grateful to meet, serve, and learn from each one of you. One person who I am exceptionally grateful for this year is my dad. When the pandemic began back in March, I was living at home with my father. I remember how uncertain the world felt. My dad and I spent a lot of time talking and sharing our fears. The uncertainty of the world presented an insurmountable amount of stress to both of us. Looking back I realize the key to how we survived was confiding in one another.

In this way, 2020 has reminded me to be grateful for your loved ones. Be grateful for the people who show up, the people who listen, the people who push you to be better, those who are honest with you, and any others. In life, it’s easy to get distracted or caught up, but when you take away all of life’s little distractions, personal connection, in my opinion, is what life is all about.

I am grateful for the time I spent living with my dad, that time made our relationship stronger. I think time is imperative to building strong lasting relationships. Time is also one of the greatest gifts, and one I think we all often take for granted. We live with the idea that the people will always be there. This simply isn’t true. Each moment with a loved one is a blessing. It may seem like we don’t have much to be grateful for in 2020 but I find that this year has given me a deeper level of gratitude for the time I have with people.

Spending time with people, especially people we enjoy, is an important part of a healthy life. Overall 2020 has taught me to have gratitude for time and people. For me, this means being more present, and more open during interactions with loved ones. Being present can increase the quality of the time you spend with people. I find that taking a breath and centering myself to become present gives me a deeper respect and awareness of time. Appreciating time, taking a breath, and being present, can be important as time only seems to speed up.

With each year time seems to pass by faster and faster. We often forget to take time to breathe. Remember to take time to be grateful for the time you have and the people you spend it with. That’s why every year when November comes up, when I get another birthday, I have gratitude. Gratitude for the year that has passed, and the opportunity for another one. Gratitude for the year of time and the year of opportunities to spend it with good people. Every November, I am reminded of the wonderful year I had, and how lucky I am to have made it through the last year, and how grateful I am that I can begin another.

Breathe, be present, and have gratitude.

—Emily, Admin AIM

What’s So Great About Being Grateful?

Gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” For some, this quality is an inherent part of life. For others, practicing gratitude can feel like just another task on a never-ending to-do list.

As Thanksgiving approaches we will undoubtedly be reminded to be grateful, regardless of if we celebrate the holiday or not. Whether you struggle to be grateful amidst the current state of affairs, or you embrace gratitude regularly, I wanted to share some evidence-based reasoning as to why gratitude is so tremendously beneficial.

Gratitude increases overall satisfaction with life.
Gratitude has historically and consistently been perceived as inherent to our wellbeing and satisfaction with life. When we approach the world with a grateful disposition, we inevitably savor positive experiences and situations more readily. As a result, more positive experiences are not taken for granted. We are encouraged to build and maintain relationships, to give and receive help, and to be more flexible in our thinking.

Gratitude also serves as a buffer against negative emotion. It promotes changes in our thought processes that lead to reframing negative experiences and memories into more positive interpretations. These changes in our thought processes also lead to increased resilience, ability to cope, and decrease our perception of stress. Overall, gratitude leads to more positive feelings and more openness to experience, both which promote satisfaction with life.

Gratitude improves relationships.
Gratitude, by nature, is “prosocial”. It encourages us to forgive, to sympathize, to accept help, and give to others. When we approach relationships with a grateful disposition, we are more likely to feel appreciated, to perceive others positively, and strive to maintain relationships. As our sense of being appreciated increases, so does our desire to provide appreciation and be responsive to the needs of others. This leads to a higher level of commitment overall.

We also are more likely to create new relationships when we have a grateful disposition. We act more warmly and inviting to new people and can more easily experience a sense of relatedness despite differences. Through gratitude, we feel like we belong, and therefore we work harder at the relationships we have and are more encouraged to make new ones.

Gratitude mitigates loneliness.

Knowing gratitude enhances our satisfaction with life and our relationships, it isn’t hard to imagine that gratitude must have an effect on loneliness. Loneliness is essentially a conflict between the relationships we wish to have and our perception of the relationships we do have. It is a lack of intimacy and meaning, rather than solitude or isolation alone.

Gratitude can minimize loneliness through some of the same mechanisms that improve our relationships. It enhances our ability to give and receive help, encourages us to reach out to others, and assists us in building trust. However, loneliness specifically can be reduced through the changes in our cognitions (or thought processes) that cause us to see our relationships as lacking.

A common thread in the experience of loneliness is self-blaming. The lens of loneliness causes us to see our personalities as unchangeable, to see social situations as out of our control, and to see ourselves as unappealing to others. Gratitude allows us to see a different reality; that we are in fact likable, that we contribute to our own success, and that social competence can be developed over time. As we shift into a grateful mindset, loneliness naturally diminishes and is prevented from continuing.

Gratitude reduces feelings of anxiety.

Negative emotional experiences, such as anxiety, often stem from the way we relate to ourselves. We often feel anxious when we react harshly toward ourselves after sensing that we have failed. These patterns of self-criticism, self-attacking and an inability to express empathy toward ourselves when confronted with our short comings are common internal dialogues with major adverse impacts.

Gratitude, however, allows us to perceive ourselves in a different light. It allows us to reassure ourselves more readily, show ourselves compassion, and reduce feelings of inadequacy. When we are grateful, we can see ourselves as the recipience of altruistic actions, leading us to feel valued, deserving, and worthy. In practicing gratitude, we can foster a gentle relationship with ourselves that undoubtedly lowers our levels of anxiety.

Gratitude is a key element of post-traumatic growth.

We often hear the word “trauma” and think of combat veterans, survivors of natural disasters, or individuals who have tragically been subjected to acts of violence or abuse. However, trauma can manifest as a result of many different experiences; illness, the death of a loved one, extreme change, or divorce, to name a few. It is not uncommon to have experienced the impact of trauma at least at some level.

Research has shown us that gratitude plays an important role in healing from trauma. It fosters our ability to see the benefits from even the most adverse experiences without condoning those experiences. If a grateful outlook is present before the trauma, or is built with support after, we are likely to appreciate our relationships more, to see the value in each day, and ultimately to “live life to the fullest” as we reconcile the impermanence of life.

Gratitude helps improve sleep.

As we close our eyes for the night, we often ruminate on missed opportunities, rough interactions with others, lost objects, or whatever else has worried us throughout our day. Unfortunately, while this is a common experience, these negative thoughts can majorly impair the quality and duration of our sleep. Practicing gratitude allows us to shift our pre-sleep thought processes into a more positive headspace. Alleviating worry and stress in this way leads us to sleep more soundly and for longer, which inevitably improves our mood and our ability to manage stress in our daily lives.

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I know how hard it can be to be grateful each and every day. Like so many other skills, it takes practice to develop a thankful outlook in life. I hope this list has inspired you to look a little closer at all the splendid things there are to be grateful for in your own life, be them big or small.

For more information about gratitude, support in identifying all you are thankful for, or simply a safe space to talk through what’s on your mind, give me a call at (269) 808-6422 or email me at jessica@aimnatural.com to schedule an appointment.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this message, and for letting me walk alongside you through the ups and downs of life. It’s an honor to serve you; one that I am truly, deeply grateful for.

Until we speak, be well.

Jessica Blodgett, MA, LLPC

A Letter from Raveena

To Our Patients:

For those of you who I have had the privilege to meet, it has truly been a pleasure. For those of you who I have not met yet, I am Raveena, AIM’s newest medical intern. I joined the team in June, and as we all know, these are strange times. It has been incredible to see how much this team does behind the scenes to make sure we are doing the best we can for all of you—our patients. 

When life seems to be at a standstill, we find ourselves deeply woven into the fabric of humanity. We sit in our separate, socially isolated homes, yet we are increasingly aware of our potential to impact one another. 

During my time here, I have seen that impact firsthand. Many of you have known the AIM team for much longer than I have. You have shared with me the difference they have each made in your lives, being there for you in ways that others could not. You have also shared with me how integrative medicine has touched your life. 

Getting to work with both you and our clinicians is a privilege. I have found myself resonating with the lasting human connection that is fostered in this practice. Whether you are seen in-person or through telemedicine, there is a deep commitment to serving you through both enjoyable and challenging times. 

In the future, I hope to be able to cultivate the same types of relationships with my patients. Like the team of clinicians at AIM, I strive to practice medicine that integrates nutrition, wellbeing, mental, and physical health to care for the whole person. If you have seen any of their public talks, you know they are committed to not only caring for individuals, but caring for their entire community as well. It is this desire to honor the complex humanity around me that fuels my pursuit of medicine--my pursuit to serve as a catalyst for hope and healing.

Not only am I grateful to our AIM team for the opportunity to gain exposure to this wonderful field of integrative medicine, but I am deeply grateful to all of you for trusting me enough to share your experiences and reflections with me. Despite the strange circumstances we are living under, I cannot wait to see what the year ahead holds. If you or one of your loved ones would like to see us, or just catch up, please do not hesitate to reach out. It is our honor to serve you. 

Thank you for the privilege to serve you, to learn from you, and to walk with you on your journey. 

Until we speak, be well, 

Raveena, Medical Intern In Training