How Practicing Gratitude Can Improve Your Health…

Who knew that a simple thank you, could be so powerful?  It’s ironic when we think back to our childhood, and our parents were always insisting that we say “thank you”.  Turns out, they were right.  Two psychologists, Michael McCollough of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis, wrote an article about an experiment they conducted on gratitude and its impact on well-being.

Research Shows Gratitude Can Increase your happiness by 25%

The study was conducted by dividing several hundred people into three groups, where all participants were asked to keep a journal or diary.  The first group was instructed to keep a journal of the events that occurred during the day without being told specifically to write about good or bad things; the second group was instructed to record only their unpleasant experiences; and the third group was instructed to make a daily list of things for which they were grateful. The results of the study indicated that the findings of those exercising daily gratitude resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy. In addition, those in the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, were more likely to help others, exercised more regularly, and made greater progress toward achieving personal goals.

Dr. Emmons – who has been studying gratitude for almost ten years and considered to be the world’s leading authority on gratitude – is author of the book, “Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier”. The information in this book is based on research conducted by a number of different researchers around the world. One of the things these studies show is that practicing gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. This is significant, among other things, because just as there’s a certain weight that feels natural to your body and which your body strives to maintain, your basic level of happiness is set at a predetermined point. If something bad happens to you during the day, your happiness can drop momentarily, but then it returns to its natural set-point. Likewise, if something positive happens to you, your level of happiness rises, and then it returns once again to your “happiness set-point”. A practice of gratitude raises your “happiness set-point” so you can remain at a higher level of happiness regardless of outside circumstances.

In addition, research shows that those who practice gratitude tend to be more creative, bounce back more quickly from adversity, have a stronger immune system, and have stronger social relationships than those who don’t practice gratitude. He further points out that “To say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our lives is necessarily great. It just means we are aware of our blessings.”

Aside from the immediate overall benefits to us physically and mentally, gratitude creates a change in our vibrational frequency, and this in turn creates a wave that flows from us to those around us.  This outflow of joyous energy not only connects us to more joyous experiences, but attracts to us those that are like-minded and joyous, as well as experiences and positive opportunities.

Taking a moment to say thanks…every day

So many of us walk through life with blinders on, taking for granted everything in our lives.  The simplest things can begin your journey toward improved health.  Count your fingers and toes, and be grateful for the ones you have.  If you have shelter, or food in your cupboard, be thankful for that.  Perhaps your living situation is untenable, but perhaps there’s a moment in your day that is less bad than all the others.  Be thankful for the moment, and from there more moments will occur until your living situation will be completely turned around to be mostly joyous.

And lastly…let me say thank you for stopping by today.