Gratitude is more than just an emotion; it’s a powerful behavior that can improve every area of your life. From writing in a gratitude journal, appreciating friends or thanking baristas who provide your morning coffee, an attitude of gratitude can make an enormous difference to all aspects of life.
Studies have demonstrated that practicing gratitude can make us more compassionate individuals.
1. It Improves Your Mood
Studies have demonstrated that when people are feeling down, expressing gratitude can significantly improve their mood. It does this by redirecting attention away from negative emotions or uncomfortable sensations and towards the good things in your life – for instance if your car tire has suddenly burst apart it can help shift focus toward having an income to cover repairs as well as friends to drive you home from work and back again.
One groundbreaking study found that high blood pressure patients who counted their blessings for two weeks reported lower blood pressure. Meanwhile, research at the Greater Good Science Center discovered that participants writing letters of gratitude experienced more positive emotions than participants in control groups.
Gratitude can also elevate your mood by spurring you to show appreciation for others’ kindnesses. Acknowledging friends or colleagues’ efforts inspires you to do the same for others; and acting on gratitude releases oxytocin which creates stronger bonds within our social group.
2. It Improves Your Relationships
Gratefulness has been shown to reduce stress while simultaneously increasing feelings of connection, happiness and joy – leaving less room for toxic and negative emotions like fear or anger to control our lives.
Grateful individuals tend to be more empathetic and less judgmental of others, which makes it easier for mutually supportive relationships to form. Furthermore, grateful people tend to show appreciation towards loved ones more readily – creating an attractive presence among people seeking companionship.
Grateful people tend to be kind towards themselves, helping to avoid self-criticism and negative body image. If gratitude seems difficult or your mood remains persistently low, BetterHelp’s online therapists offer expert support – start talking now; it’s free and easy!
3. It Improves Your Self-Esteem
Practice of gratitude can help us appreciate all of the good in our lives and recognize its source; whether that be from kindness of others or natural beauty – they all play an integral part in shaping who we are as individuals and making up who we are today. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are.
Grateful people also tend to have more positive views of themselves. They’re more likely to perceive themselves as capable and worthy than compare themselves with others or feel as though their needs can only be fulfilled once material possessions have been attained.
One way to cultivate gratitude is to send out weekly thank-you notes or express your appreciation in other ways, such as telling friends, coworkers, or neighbors how much they mean to you. This practice can create bonds among these individuals while simultaneously sparking prosocial actions like working out more and sleeping deeper – thus alleviating stress while reinforcing prosocial behavior in return. Practicing gratitude has numerous health benefits such as reduced stress levels, countered negative emotions more effectively, and led to improved health behaviors such as working out regularly or better sleeping more deeply – thus contributing to reduced stress, reduced stress levels as well as contributing positively towards improving overall prosocial behaviors such as working out more or sleeping more deeply at night.
4. It Improves Your Health
People who practice gratitude are known to release serotonin and dopamine into their brains when contemplating gratitude, which releases serotonin and dopamine that help lift moods, make people feel happier about life and reduce stress levels, according to North Dakota Department of Behavioral Health Human Services. This can reduce stress while improving sleep.
Grateful individuals tend to have better physical health, such as lower blood pressure, fewer headaches and stomachaches and sore muscles, and an overall healthier state of being. One theory suggests this may be because focusing on things for which we should be grateful can remind us to eat right, exercise regularly and look after their body properly.
As well as keeping a gratitude journal, it’s also essential to express your thanks regularly to those closest to you. You can do this through writing them a letter, sending a card or even just texting them a thank-you note; doing this not only enhances your practice of gratitude but can strengthen relationships and spread joy throughout. Explicitly showing appreciation can even have more lasting effects.
