WEBVTT - Write a gratitude letter

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to write a gratitude letter. Writing this

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<v Speaker 1>letter and sharing it with the person you're grateful for

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<v Speaker 1>is a good way to make a happier holiday season.

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<v Speaker 1>A few episodes ago, I described an exercise from Martin

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<v Speaker 1>Seligman's book Flourish about recording what went well each day.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip about another gratitude practice from Flourish can help

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<v Speaker 1>us connect with the people who've made a big difference

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<v Speaker 1>in our lives. Seligman proposes writing something called a gratitude letter,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's how to do it. First, think about someone

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<v Speaker 1>who has been kind to you or who has made

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<v Speaker 1>an important impact on your life, but who you haven't

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<v Speaker 1>really thanked. Write that person a thank you letter. Describe

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<v Speaker 1>what they did and how it has influenced you. Second,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's where the practice gets a little unusual. Rather

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<v Speaker 1>than sending the letter in the mail hand, deliver the

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<v Speaker 1>letter and read it aloud to the person you want

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<v Speaker 1>to thank. Now, you may be thinking that this sounds complicated,

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<v Speaker 1>especially if the person doesn't live next door, and might

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<v Speaker 1>feel a little awkward. Maybe so talking about feelings is hard,

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<v Speaker 1>even if they're good feelings. But here's why he suggests it.

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<v Speaker 1>By being vulnerable and telling someone what they have meant

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<v Speaker 1>to you in person and at length, you are demonstrating

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<v Speaker 1>their importance to you and how much you appreciate them.

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<v Speaker 1>And just imagine how the person you think is going

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<v Speaker 1>to feel. Most likely, he or she will feel happy

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<v Speaker 1>and proud to have had such a positive impact on you.

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<v Speaker 1>The person will feel honored by your time and your

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<v Speaker 1>words and openness, and probably closer to you too. You

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<v Speaker 1>might also imagine how you are going to feel grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for how that person has influenced your life, connected to them,

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<v Speaker 1>and bolstered by all these good feelings. Now. I know

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<v Speaker 1>this might sound a bit like common sense that thank

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<v Speaker 1>you notes make both writer and recipient feel better, but

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<v Speaker 1>as a research psychologist, Seligman did more than just imagine

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<v Speaker 1>how writing gratitude letters would make people feel. He and

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<v Speaker 1>his colleagues studied the effects and found that writing and

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<v Speaker 1>delivering gratitude letters left participants feeling significantly better than a

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<v Speaker 1>control group. For a month, those who wrote gratitude letters

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<v Speaker 1>reported more happiness and fewer symptoms of depression, and given

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<v Speaker 1>how many people can feel out of sorts during the holidays,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a big fan of anything that can make people

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<v Speaker 1>happy into the new year. So who do you have

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<v Speaker 1>to thank? Maybe it's a teacher or a neighbor you

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<v Speaker 1>knew when you were a child, someone who valued you,

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<v Speaker 1>understood you, nudge you to follow your dreams. Or perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>you'd like to thank a professional mentor who helped you

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<v Speaker 1>earlier in your career. Or maybe it's a parent or

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<v Speaker 1>aunt or uncle who helped you during your early days

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<v Speaker 1>of parenting. Or maybe it's a friend who offered you

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<v Speaker 1>counsel during a difficult time. So today, try writing down

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<v Speaker 1>the names of the people in your life you are

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<v Speaker 1>most grateful for. Linger over this list, take a moment

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<v Speaker 1>to recall specific memories with each person, consider how they

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<v Speaker 1>impacted you. Then choose one of these people to thank.

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<v Speaker 1>Write a letter sharing your memories, describing what the person

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<v Speaker 1>meant to you, and expressing your gratitude. Then make a

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<v Speaker 1>visit to read your letter and say thank you in person.

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<v Speaker 1>You may feel so good after your visit that you'll

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<v Speaker 1>decide to write gratitude letters to the other people on

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<v Speaker 1>your list as well. If you do this writing and

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<v Speaker 1>delivering a gratitude letter. Let me know how it goes

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<v Speaker 1>for you and the person you think. You can email

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<v Speaker 1>me at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod

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<v Speaker 1>that's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite chips.