I know, I know, you may be tired of blogs and memes and commercials encouraging you to be grateful this month. I’m still going to talk about it, because I think it’s really important and can shape our clinical practices!

There have actually been quite a few recent studies demonstrating that cultivating gratitude can be extremely beneficial to our mental health. This article is a really good short summary of some of them-and this is one of those topics that you can dive down the rabbit hole with if you really desire to do so. In some studies, participants “practiced” gratitude by taking a few minutes each day to think about things that inspired gratitude in them; others wrote it down, or practiced saying them out loud in a group. In all of them, there were demonstrated and statistically significant improvements in mental health, including decreased depression, better relationships, increased likelihood of participating in exercise, and better sleep to name just a few.

So with that in mind, and in no particular order, here are a few of the “gratitudes” that I am personally reflecting on this season:

I am very grateful to have the privilege to be in a profession where I get to move and use my brain all day. No two days are the same, and I get the immediate gratification of knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of real people every day. Sure, there are tough days and frustrating situations with patients and situations that make me wish I had just stayed home, but overall I am able to participate in a very active and rewarding profession-and the older I get, the more I realize how few people can truly say that!

I am incredibly grateful that my patients entrust their musculoskeletal care to me. They come to see me, allow me to ask them very intimate questions, and trust me to prescribe the appropriate treatment. They share stories with me about their grandkids, and ask me the awkward and potentially embarrassing questions. I am so thankful to be able to participate in moving them toward whole-body health.

I am very grateful to have good health of my own. We should all be acutely aware from the work that we do that there are no guarantees in life and all it takes is a moment to forever alter the course of a person’s life. I have experienced pain (both acute and chronic) as well as prolonged illnesses in the past and can really empathize with the struggles each of these can cause, and thus am even more thankful to be living a life that is relatively unmarred by either at present.

I am grateful that I am in a profession where my colleagues are dedicated to learning and growing in their clinical and “soft” skills, and very grateful for organizations such as Evidence in Motion that are dedicated to helping facilitate the same. I always come away from teaching or attending CE courses feeling very encouraged and challenged, and am thankful for the new perspective that often brings to my clinical life.

Of course, I am grateful for support of both friends and family as well this season. Yes, I realize that is a very cliché thing to say, but think about it: could we really do what we do to our fullest potential on an island? (Perhaps you are a stronger person than I, but I know I certainly could not) My husband who patiently and lovingly stay at home parents our 3 (soon to be 4!) young children literally enables me to do what I do (both with patient care and teaching). Even though it can seem somewhat lame, I really do think that pausing to think about and then express our gratitude to those we love is vitally important.

What are some of your “gratitudes” as we move into the end of 2017?