Community Regional Medical Center is a place where lots of compassionate care is given every single day in a million and one ways. Patients and families are not the only ones who receive loving care. Many of our employees are very spiritually minded and go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their co-workers.

Random acts of caring are often received by employees from their co-workers. Some examples of caring are offering a shoulder to cry on during a moment of crisis, truly listening when someone needs to unburden a personal concern, getting an extra cup of coffee for a co-worker, calling a co-worker who is sick, and many others acts of kindness. It is a natural response when we are the recipients of these acts of kindness to feel gratitude.

In this season of Thanksgiving, I would like to point out that there is now much scientific research being done on the value of gratitude. Recent studies have concluded that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods and even the survival of our marriages. I want to point out 7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude that will motivate you to give thanks year round. This information comes from an article in Forbes Magazine (11/23/2014). Research reveals gratitude can have these seven benefits:

1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships. Showing appreciation can help win new friends.
2. Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains.
3. Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions.
4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people tend to behave in a kinder way.
5. Grateful people sleep better. Writing your blessings in a gratitude journal improves sleep.
6. Gratitude improves self-esteem. Grateful people appreciate other people’s accomplishments and compare themselves less.
7. Gratitude increases mental strength. Research has shown gratitude reduces stress and can help overcome trauma.

This Thanksgiving season lets be grateful for all our blessings. You might even consider starting your own gratitude journal. Let’s try to be more expressive of our gratitude and say "Thank You" more often to each other. Let’s continue to share our love and concern for each other as co-workers at CRMC. Together we have accomplished a lot this year. Let us reap the benefits of our gratitude as we express our gratitude to each other.

May you have a wonderful and happy THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!

Written by: Chaplain Grimaldo Enriquez, Community Regional Medical Center