We all know we should eat well, exercise and get enough sleep – but caring for our mental and emotional health is just as vital. One important way to support your mental and emotional well-being is by actively incorporating gratitude into your daily life.
Gratitude has been proven to have a profound positive effect on our whole health. Scientists who study positive psychology have found that people who practice gratitude consistently report higher levels of positive emotions, including joy, pleasure, optimism and happiness; improved alertness and feelings of being alive; greater resiliency; stronger immune systems; lower blood pressure; an increase in physical activity; improved sleep and reduced fatigue; and a positive impact on relationships, including feeling less lonely, resentful and envious and more forgiving, helpful, generous and compassionate.
These positive impacts are rooted in our physiology. People who feel more grateful have different brain activity than those who don’t in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is the learning and decision-making area of the brain. This also suggests that practicing gratitude may help train the brain to be more sensitive to long-term appreciativeness, which could contribute to improved mental health over time.
As we celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, many of us paused to reflect on what we are thankful for. But gratitude is more than just saying thank you, and it has the biggest positive impact in our lives if we practice it more than one day or one month each year. The benefits of practicing gratitude take a little time to realize, but they increase the longer it is exercised. You may discover an extra pep in your stride and rediscover meaning in your personal and professional lives.
It’s good to be grateful – but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Here are some simple ways you can begin incorporating gratitude into your life or expanding your current gratitude practice:
- Write a note of thanks to someone in your life. Make a habit of sending at least one per month – or better yet, deliver it in person. You’ll boost the recipient’s mood too! Notice natural beauty and take a moment to appreciate and reflect upon it.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Writing down three things you are grateful for each day.
- Watch your language. Focusing on positive language and decreasing the use of negative language shifts our perspective. In other words, gratitude frames the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty.
- Create visual reminders. Leaving sticky notes or calendar notifications to remind you to practice gratitude can help you make it a regular habit.
Our goal is to support you by providing a foundation for you to grow, connect and inspire lives. Start your gratitude practice today!
