Benefits Of Gratitude: Enhancing Happiness And Well-Being
You may have heard that acknowledging gratitude can improve your mental well-being and physical health or reduce chronic pain. However, some may wonder if gratitude can help or is just a wellness buzzword.
Benefits of gratitude for mental health
To learn more about the benefits of this skill, it may be helpful to explore what positive psychology researchers say about the benefits of gratitude, along with tips for incorporating gratitude into your day-to-day life and tools to improve your mental health.
What is gratitude and being thankful in positive psychology?
Gratitude is a positive sense of abundant thankfulness that disrupts negative thought patterns. It may help individuals focus on what they are lucky enough to have instead of what they wish they had. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines gratitude as “A sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit (e.g., a present, favor) given by someone or a fortunate happenstance (e.g., a beautiful day).”
Deeper impact of gratitude and benefits of thankfulness on well-being
According to Robert Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, expressing gratitude is an “affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” However, more profoundly, gratitude may allow people to “recognize that the sources of goodness are outside of oneself.” It can mean acknowledging that “other people—or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave many gifts, big and small, to help [people] achieve the goodness in [their] lives.”
In this way, gratitude can be both a temporary emotional state and a more enduring trait, the inclination to look at the world in a positive light. People who are grateful may experience stronger social bonds, greater empathy, and more happiness.
How does gratitude impact your physical health, brain, and mind?
Positive psychology research has repeatedly demonstrated the wide-reaching benefits of gratitude, including but not limited to the following:
Benefits of gratitude on physical health in positive psychology
Gratitude is associated with other physical benefits, too. For example, people who express gratitude have, on average, higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).
Social benefits of thankfulness
People who practice gratitude tend to experience greater social bonding, stronger communication, empathy, better relationships, and more likeability. People with stronger relationships and social skills also often experience better mental health outcomes, social support, and a sense of belonging.
Mental health benefits
Robert Emmons, Ph.D., has found that gratitude reduces the lifetime risk of mental health disorders like substance use disorders, anxiety, and depression. Some people also find that gratitude results in more positive emotions and temporarily blocks challenging emotions, such as resentment, envy, or cynicism. In some cases, gratitude practices may also improve self-esteem.
Harvard Health Publishing notes that Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist and happiness researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a study on 411 people. He found that, compared to other types of positive psychology interventions, gratitude letters had the most significant impact on happiness, and the benefits lasted for around a month. For people experiencing suicidal ideation, further research has found that writing gratitude letters reduced thoughts of hopelessness in 88% of participants while increasing levels of optimism in 94% of participants.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Support is available 24/7.
How to use a gratitude journal and other strategies for emotion management
Grateful people may cultivate more happiness in daily life. Though your personality traits may influence your inclination towards experiencing gratitude, there are some strategies you can use to cultivate gratitude. Mental health professionals often recommend the following gratitude strategies.
Gratitude journal and emotion management
Gratitude journals are commonly studied in positive psychology, with some researchers finding they’re an effective way for people to boost positive emotions and decrease stress and overwhelming negativity. However, those living with certain mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety, may find it challenging to identify what they’re grateful for, which can make the experience seem inauthentic or induce a sense of shame. Therefore, people with mental health conditions or severe symptoms may benefit from first speaking to a mental health professional.
There are countless ways to practice gratitude journaling. Berkeley Greater Good Science Center recommends consistently writing about two to five specific areas of your life you are grateful for (such as weekly or bi-weekly). For example, you might choose to write about a near-accident you avoided or the delicious lunch your co-worker shared with you. You could use a dedicated notebook, a word processor on your computer, or your phone’s note section. Whatever you choose, try to be intentional about creating a written record of your gratitude.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a present awareness of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and environment. Through mindfulness practices, some people may have a deeper appreciation of experiences they often overlook. To practice a quick mindfulness exercise, take a few slow, deep breaths, allowing the tension in your body to melt. Notice the thoughts that come into your mind without judgment.
During the exercise, pay attention to your physical body, the sound of the wind rustling tree leaves, the smell of a home-cooked meal, the different flavors and textures in your favorite meal, the feeling of the sun on your skin, or the relaxing sensation of taking a deep breath. You may find more joy, meaning, and satisfaction when you become more aware of the moment.
Express your gratitude
You can express your gratitude in various ways, from saying “thank you” when your friend offers a kind gesture to adopting a gratitude ritual. For example, you could share a part of your day you’re grateful for when you sit down for a meal with friends or family.
Other ways to increase your happiness and health benefits
Happiness is often broken down into three components: momentary mood, overall life satisfaction, and satisfaction with various domains of life (such as work, health, finances, and relationships). Though some aspects of happiness are genetic or circumstantial, around 40% of happiness is dictated by situations you can control, such as your behaviors and thought patterns. Research has shown that the following strategies may increase moments of happiness.
Exercise
Exercise is associated with increased life satisfaction, mental health, and physical health. It can also boost self-esteem, confidence, and sleep quality. You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from physical activity. Try going for a 30-minute brisk walk or biking to work a few times per week.
Socializing
Strong social connections can be a crucial component of happiness, with some researchers finding that healthy social networks consistently predict greater happiness and life satisfaction. Consider making time for more social outings, such as a routine dinner date with friends or starting a sports league with your colleagues.
Volunteer work
When you volunteer for a cause you care about, you may experience a feel-good sensation, a stronger connection to your community, and a renewed sense of purpose. Consider asking a friend or family member to volunteer with you.
Therapy
Research has consistently found that psychotherapy (talk therapy) can improve happiness and quality of life. For example, a 2018 study found that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly decreased depression and increased happiness and life satisfaction compared to a control treatment. If you struggle to access therapy in your area, you can also try CBT online.
Effectiveness and convenience of online CBT therapy
When done online, studies find that online CBT can be as effective as in-person therapy and can empower clients to seek therapy from anywhere they are comfortable. If you want to improve your well-being but find it challenging to access in-person therapy, you might benefit from talking to a licensed therapist through an online platform like BetterHelp.
You can choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions online. In addition, you can attend therapy from home and access unique resources like journaling prompts, worksheets, and online group sessions.
Takeaway
To improve your overall happiness, consider exercising regularly, prioritizing healthy social relationships, attending therapy sessions, and volunteering in your community.
What are the benefits of practicing gratitude?
Studies suggest that individuals who practice gratitude have significantly better mental health, and even better physical health and overall well-being than those who do not. Gratitude exercises like a daily gratitude journal or gratitude letter writing can continually remind you about the positive aspects of your life, and help protect against negative emotions.
Why is gratitude so powerful?
Gratitude is powerful because it is a habit, and behavior can change your biology. Heightened daily gratitude can separate us from toxic emotions and shift our attention to the good things in our life. When we feel grateful, like meditation, it can also bring our mind into the present moment, which can help to trigger our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
How does gratitude rewire the brain?
Gratitude research groups have found that gratitude works as any habit; the more you practice it, the more the brain rewires itself to promote it. Gratitude releases oxytocin, which is a feel-good chemical that rewards the individual for the behavior. The brain tends to work in attenuated temporal discounting, meaning that a person will more often choose the smaller, more short term reward over the longer term greater reward. The small rewards of hormonal release can help us to continue the practice of gratitude in a way that understanding the long term effects might not. Over time, however, the pathways that lead us to gratitude become more “well-traveled” and the brain (which can be lazy in many ways), will automatically choose that route. The intentional practice of gratitude will eventually become the ingrained trait gratitude.
What hormones does gratitude release?
Gratitude releases oxytocin, also known as “the love hormone,” which reinforces prosocial behavior.
What happens in your body when you are grateful?
Gratitude interventions such as writing a thank you note or a thank you letter, counting blessings, or a gratitude writing exercise in a journal release oxytocin, bring the parasympathetic nervous system online, protect against negative experiences, and brings you mind into the present moment in the same way meditation does, an effective stress-management technique.
Why do I cry when I'm grateful?
Gratitude can be a powerful emotion, and many people respond to powerful emotions with tears.
Are grateful people healthier?
Gratitude helps strengthen other positive behaviors like healthier eating behavior, promotes better sleep by helping you fall asleep more quickly, may improve personal relationships, and can positively impact mental health and well-being. Studies show that healthy habits like more gratitude, healthy stress management, and better sleep can be protective against heart disease and lead to better heart health. In fact, these factors can lead to greater physical health overall.
Do thankful people live longer?
A 2024 study published by JAMA found that gratitude works to not only protect health, but it may also extend life. In the study, the self-reported high gratitude group had a 9% lower risk of dying over the four year course of the study than the bottom third of the study. While not enormous, 9% is meaningful, and gratitude is something anyone can practice in everyday life.
What happens to people who are not grateful?
There have been a number of studies performed on how gratitude affects different populations, including Vietnam war veterans, middle-aged, divorced women, and college students. All of these studies found that compared to their grateful counterparts, those who did not practice gratitude had poorer mental health outcomes as well as physical health outcomes. The Oxford University press recently published a book on the psychology of gratitude, showing it to be a multilayered concept that affects more than researchers had previously believed.
Gratitude can also be a learned behavior. Those who have received counseling services that include building and maintaining a gratitude practice were largely able to continue it on their own.
What is the root cause of ungratefulness?
Social psychology has found that modern society has shifted in many cultures to embrace a more materialistic attitude. More money, more accumulation of things and status have become the norm for many people. Gratitude itself has been downplayed. Real gratitude encompasses an entire way of thinking and being, and many see it now as simply a feeling, rather than a virtue. Often a person will focus on things they’re happy about over the three weeks around the Thanksgiving season, while ignoring positive things the rest of the year. Because of the strong influence of society and cultural norms, learning to practice gratitude takes intention and self-control, but the rewards are great.
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