How Gratitude Enhances Health

There is no better time to express gratitude than during the holidays and at the start of a New Year.

Expressing gratitude has been found to bring about amazing emotional and physical effects. People who keep a daily gratitude journal for even just a few weeks feel more optimistic, feel better about their lives, and visit the doctor less often.

You can also experience a  huge surge in happiness after writing a simple thank you letter to someone who has positively impacted your life. Expressions of gratitude also benefits couples. Partners who frequently show they are grateful for each other feel more positive about their relationship and more comfortable when expressing concerns.

Even employers can benefit from expressing gratitude to their employees. Employees who are thanked by their managers work harder and have greater job satisfaction.

There is an old saying, “We find what we look for.” Now is a great time to be looking for and finding all there is to be grateful for in your life.

Easy Ways to Experience Gratitude in Your Life
● Start your day with a list of 3 things to be grateful about.
● Write a thank you letter to someone who made your day, or your life, better in some way.
● Jot down 25 things you appreciate about yourself. Do the same for a family member or friend for whom you’ve had some challenges. This exercise can shift your perspective on your situation. 
● At the end of each day, reflect on & write down 5 things for which you are grateful.

 

Resources
Emmons RA, et al. “Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Feb. 2003): Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 377-89.

Grant AM, et al. “A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way: Explaining Why Gratitude Expressions Motivate Prosocial Behavior,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (June 2010): Vol. 98, No. 6, pp. 946-55.

Lambert NM, et al.”Expressing Gratitude to a Partner Leads to More Relationship Maintenance Behavior,” Emotion (Feb. 2011): Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 52-60.

Sansone RA, et al. “Gratitude and Well-Being: The Benefits of Appreciation,” Psychiatry (Nov. 2010): Vol. 7, No. 11, pp. 18-22.

Seligman MEP, et al. “Empirical Validation of Interventions,” American Psychologist (July-Aug. 2005): Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 410-21.