“Every day, I count my blessings,” Brinkley Make It. “Because some days can be better days than others but by the time I finish counting my blessings, I feel like it’s a pretty good day.”
Taking time each day to practice gratitude gives her added health, energy and productivity, she says. “I always tell my kids to do [it] because it really does move away the clutter and give you focus.”
Many studies over the last decade have shown that those who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. There are also a host of other benefits associated with gratitude, including better sleep, more exercise and lower levels of inflammation and blood pressure, according to Glenn Fox, an expert in the science of gratitude at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
Brinkley says she practices gratitude throughout the day and when she is bothered by something. “As soon as anything is annoying, I put it in perspective,” says Brinkley, who spoke with CNBC Make It while promoting beauty tool brand SBLA.
Because of that “things just don’t really bother me that much because I have a pretty good idea of what really matters,” she says.
Brinkley has been promoting the practice of gratitude for years.
When she made headlines in 2017 for gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 63 with her two daughters, Alexa Ray Joel, now 35, and Sailor Brinkley-Cook, now 23, she told WWD gratitude was a big part of her formula for staying healthy and happy.
“Eat right, exercise and sunblock are the three things that will affect your outcome more than anything, as well as a healthy attitude,” she said. “An attitude of gratitude is the formula for a happy life and I truly believe that happiness contributes to your wellbeing and to your health.”
