Giving thanks feels good but did you know, it’s also good for your mental, emotional, and physical health? The research is pretty clear about the healing benefits of having a grateful attitude.
Science Behind Gratitude
When it comes to the health benefits of gratitude, you can begin with the brain because gratitude improves mental health. In fact, the Anxiety & Depression Association of America calls gratitude a “mental health game changer” because it helps encourage more happiness, well-being, and overall life satisfaction.1
According to the Harvard School of Medicine, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.”2
In addition to the many mental health benefits, studies reveal that a grateful attitude can help improve stress management, sleep, and relationships.3 Research even shows that practicing gratitude may help reduce inflammation, which benefits physical health immensely.4
Gaining More Gratitude
Now that you know that gratitude is good for you, you may be wondering how you can encourage more of it. The Greater Good in Action organization recommends doing the three good things exercise to tune into the positive events in your life.5 Every day write down three things that went well and give a little explanation of why they went well. It’s important to write down the positive events to have them become more concrete in your mind. Write down as much detail as possible including what was said or done and how you felt at the time and later as you recalled the event.
A 2019 randomized clinical trial asked participants to write down five things that they were thankful for with an emphasis on considering both large and small things.6 The participants in the gratitude group who wrote down those five things had increased subjective happiness and life satisfaction with reduced feelings of depression.
Another way to gain more gratitude is by performing acts of kindness. Research shows that acts of kindness benefit both the giver and the receiver so that’s a bonus.7 You may also consider volunteering because research also shows that volunteerism can help enhance gratitude and resilience.8
The best news of all when it comes to gratitude is that the more you use and practice it, the stronger it will become.2 Now that’s something to be grateful for!
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References
- Smith AJ. Gratitude—a mental health game changer. Anxiety & Depression Association of America. 2021;Nov 8. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/gratitude-mental-health-game-changer
- Harvard Medicine School. Giving thanks can make you happier. Harvard Health Publishing. 2021;Aug 14. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. The impact of gratitude on mental health. Access 2024, Oct 9. https://namica.org/blog/the-impact-of-gratitude-on-mental-health/
- Hazlett LI, Moieni M, Irwin M, et al. Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: a randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2021;95:444-453. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915912100177X
- Greater Good in Action. Three good things. Accessed 2024, Oct 9. https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/three-good-things
- Cunha L, Pellanda L, Reppold C. Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: a randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in Psychology. 2019;10. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00584/full
- Cedars-Sinai Staff. The science of kindness. 2019;Feb 13. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/science-of-kindness.html
- Llenares II, Sario JA, Bialba D, Dela Cruz JM. Volunteerism influences on student resilience and gratitude. Journal of Psychology in Africa. 2020;30(3). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14330237.2020.1777031
