What if there was something that you could do for 5 minutes that would help reduce loneliness, lower stress, prevent depression, and increase your overall physical and emotional health? Did we mention help you sleep better? It turns out that cultivating an attitude of gratitude might be one of the most powerful tools for living well. In this increasingly techno-centric world in which we live, the gracious art of writing an “old-school” thank you note faces extinction. In honor of Thank You Note Day, officially celebrated on December 26, we’d like to remind you of the many charms, and powerful benefits, that one little hand-written note of gratitude delivers.

The Therapeutic Wonders of Thankfulness

Scientific research confirms it: gratitude improves physical health.

• Grateful people take better care of themselves with regular exercise and a healthy diet.
• They experience fewer aches and pains and feel healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study.
• Grateful people have regular check-ups with their doctors more often, which helps them live longer.
• They enjoy stronger immune systems and better illness and surgical recovery outcomes, thanks to their attitudes of optimism.
• Devoting just 15 minutes before bed to jotting down a few things for which you are thankful may help you sleep better and longer, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.

Gratitude also improves psychological and emotional health:

• Gratitude helps you manage daily problems and cope with stress, a known risk factor for cancer and heart disease.
• Gratitude in the aftermath of a tragedy or loss fosters resilience and reduces the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Gratitude can prevent loneliness, a serious threat to living well, by helping you make new friends who want an ongoing relationship with you, according to a 2104 study published in Emotion.
• Gratitude reduces regret, resentment, envy, and frustration.

A Little Piece of You

When you take a moment to write something in your own hand, the recipient enjoys the chance to connect with you emotionally and viscerally. The unique style of your penmanship, the scent of your fragrance, the colors and images you choose for your stationery—all present your reader with a sensory experience of your presence. They may even imagine your voice speaking the words to them as they read your note.

Go the extra step and choose lovely embossed cards with matching envelopes in colors and styles that suit your temperament. Personalize both your stationery and the message inside. If you are thanking the person for a gift, be sure to acknowledge it specifically by name and include a reference to how you plan to use it. If it was an experience that they shared with you, or a favor rendered, explain how the thoughtful gift of their time and generosity helped you.

This year, make the day after Christmas Thank You Note Day.  Write short expressions of appreciation and gratitude to friends and relatives to let them know how much they mean to you. You might also consider making this a New Year's resolution and follow in author John Kralik’s footsteps. The author’s book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year A Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, shares his journey in thankfulness. The author spent an entire year writing notes of appreciation to not only close friends and relatives, but also people that touched him in small ways every day. Kralik advises that the notes don't have to be long, and this does not have to be an overwhelming project: “Sometimes limiting yourself to just a few sentences forces you to distill your sentiments.”

If writing down just a few sentences of sincere appreciation every day is the golden key to living well, we’re ready to pick up that pen and start giving thanks!