Why are we talking about gratitude you might ask? Is it Sunday? Is this a christian blog? The good thing about gratitude is that it transcends every day of the week and every religion. Whether one is an atheist, theist, black, white, orange or whatever colour, everyone can benefit from the power of gratitude! So what exactly is gratitude? Gratitude is defined by Psychology Today as “an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has.” According to leading gratitude expert, Robert Emmons, this appreciation consists of two primary elements. One, it reinforces the idea that there is goodness in our lives and in our world – even when things aren’t perfect.
Yes, these are the numerous benefits of practicing gratitude. This list of benefits was compiled by aggregating the results of more than 40 research studies on gratitude. Breaking it down, here is how your life becomes better through gratitude:
Consistently naming/listing things for which you’re grateful can help you experience more positive emotions in your life. Remember the hymn ‘count your blessings’. There is a lot of truth to the message in the song. Gratitude is linked to a more optimistic life outlook, joy, happiness, and a heightened sense of positivity overall.
At the same time that it increases positive emotions, gratitude has also been proven to reduce negative feelings such as depression, envy, resentment, and regret.
Gratitude takes away the focus from self and tunes us into other people, this is because the very nature of gratitude is to focus on others (on their acts of goodwill). This in turn makes us have better relationships with our friends, co-workers, and families because when we are focused on the good in others, it makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. As a result, it helps us make more friends and deepen our existing relationships.
A regular practice of gratitude can help us cope with and heal from trauma, obstacles, and other negative events that happen throughout our lives.
This is probably due to the combination of a number of gratitude’s benefits: It improves our self-image, helps us feel connected to a support system, increases energy levels, and helps us create positive memories, all of which contributes to a sense of vitality and resilience.
According to this study, gratitude increases quality of sleep, reduces depressive symptoms and causes less physical pain amongst other benefits. There is even reason to believe gratitude can extend your lifespan by a few months or even years.G
According to a study by Northeastern University, regularly practicing gratitude can increase willpower and help us make thoughtful decisions, instead of responding without thinking or the desire for instant gratification.
Similarly, being thanked can improve our decision-making abilities. So, if someone you know is struggling with a big choice, you may be able to help by naming something they do for which you’re grateful.
The best way to practice gratitude is to get a journal or use the notes section of your phone to write ten things you’re grateful for daily.