In this article we discuss what gratitude is and eight benefits of incorporating this practice into your daily life. Studies have found that by practicing gratitude daily it can improve our overall health including greater social connectedness and increased mood.
So what is gratitude? Gratitude is the art of noticing and recognising the daily gifts in your life and is a common side affect of practicing mindfulness. As we start paying more attention to our thoughts, we notice where we block ourselves from appreciating the good things in life.
When we notice the little things, we become thankful and appreciative towards having that particular thing, person or experience. Say, for example, that you are someone who gets angry or frustrated when stuck in traffic, but when you bring your focus to where you are (rather than where you want to get to) you notice things such as the song on the radio, appreciation for the transport you are in or own, or a beautiful scene beyond the car window. We can’t feel grateful for things we don’t notice, and so mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand.
Robert Emmons, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at UC Davis in California and has been studying the effects of gratitude on over 1,000 people. The participants in his study ranged in age from eight to eighty and were split into two groups. One group was asked to keep a journal in which they were to write five “gifts’ that they were grateful for each day, while the other group had to write down five ‘hassles’. Some examples of the ‘gifts’ people noted were generosity of friends and watching a sunset through the clouds. Examples of ‘hassles’ were things like difficulty in finding a parking space and burning their dinner.
What Emmons found was that those who had kept a gratitude journal experienced significant psychological, physical and social benefits: a 25% improvement in overall health and wellbeing in comparison with the group focusing on what had gone wrong each day. It goes to show that a litlle appreciation goes a long way.
Below we have highlighted eight of the many ways in which mindfully practicing gratitude can improve the wellbeing of ourselves and those around us.
The 8 benefits of gratitude are:
Increased Energy Levels
People who kept a gratitude journal in Emmons study reported that their energy levels improved. In fact, many started exercising more. We know that exercise can improve mood disorders but when we experience sadness or depression, our energy levels slump and sometimes doing the simplest of tasks can feel like running a marathon. However, this study suggests that being mindful of what’s good about our life plays an important role in having the energy to exercise.
Better Sleep
On average, study participants found that they were not only sleeping 10% longer than they used to, but that the quality of their sleep also improved. They reported waking up feeling more refreshed and ready for the coming day. You can read more about our tips for a better nights sleep here.
Reduced Blood Pressure
With our current hectic lifestyles, high blood pressure has become a common problem. However, simply taking moments to focus our attention on the good things in our life can lower blood pressure, thus taking the strain off our hearts, brains and many other parts of the body.
Feeling Less Lonely
Gratitude strengthens relationships, not just with people we know, but with people in general. When we’re mindful of positive traits and behaviours in others, we feel more supported, and that leads to us feeling more able to support others in return. When we feel safe, we no longer feel the need to look out for threats and red flags to protect us. This leads to us feeling less lonely and isolated, as we are more able to truly connect with others.
Fewer Physical Symptoms
People who wrote down five things they were grateful for each day became less affected by aches, pains and other physical symptoms. This ties in with other studies which have found that mindfulness can ease uncomfortable physical symptoms, even chronic pain.
Improved Attentiveness
As mentioned earlier, mindfulness and gratitude are very much linked. Over time, those who deliberately thought about what they were grateful for experienced greater attentiveness. They felt more alert and aware of life.
Taking Better Care of Health
Practising daily gratitude resulted in many participants taking better care of their physical health. Mindful individuals tend to have better self-control and are less impulsive, in many areas of life, including eating habits. Add this to more exercise and better quality of sleep, and you’ve got an all-round much healthier and happier human.
Increased Joy
When we steer our attention to what’s good about the world, we naturally feel a greater sense of joy. However, it’s important to note that gratitude isn’t about denying what’s wrong; solely acknowledging the positive and avoiding the negative can do us much psychological harm. But noticing good things, when and where they exist, takes us out of seeing the world as just being a bad place where bad things happen. In truth, life contains both good and bad, but mindful gratitude helps us appreciate those lovely moments, whilst at the same time enabling us to appreciate these moments with others.
In conclusion, the act of noticing 5 gifts everyday can increase your overall health by improving your mood, energy levels and sleep. Gratitude also enhances our feeling of social connection with others and increases our feelings towards living a joyful life.
I would love to know your thoughts on gratitude and what practices you engage in to live mindfully. Feel free to share your thoughts, resources or questions in the comments below.
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