Positive Psychology research has looked into how gratitude affects life, and how it is consistently associated with greater happiness. For as the saying goes, what you focus on – Grows.
What the research shows…
In 2008 scientists first used functional MRI to study gratitude and found that regularly expressing gratitude can change the molecular structure of your brain. Gratitude activated multiple brain regions connected with reward pathways in the hypothalamus, boosting the “feel good” hormone serotonin, and activating the brain stem to produce dopamine.
Other studies found that those who showed more gratitude overall had higher levels of activity in the hypothalamus, which has a big influence on stress levels and sleep.
In one study, participants were asked to write a few sentences each week with a focus on particular topics. One group wrote about things they were grateful for, the next wrote about daily irritations or things that upset them, and the third group wrote about events that impacted them, but with no emphasis on whether the impact was positive or negative.
After ten weeks, those who wrote about things they were grateful for felt more optimistic about life and took steps to better themselves with more frequent exercise and less trips to the doctor than the group that focused on sources of aggravation.
Another study within Positive Psychology tested a group of people who each wrote a letter of gratitude to someone thanking him/her for his/her kindness. After this exercise participants saw a huge increase in tallied happiness scores, and the benefits lasted for at least a month.
How to cultivate gratitude in your life
As the research shows, gratitude affects life by leading you to greater happiness. Here are four ways you can cultivate gratitude in your life on a regular basis.
#1. Keep a gratitude journal.
Make a habit each day to write down things for which you are grateful. This is a great way to start or end your day. It can be things you tend to take for granted like a roof over your head, food on your plate, or the clothes on your back.
Try and make your list varied and you’ll start to pay more attention during the day to the little things that make you smile. Include the feelings that come up when something positive happens to you. Watch as this practice starts to shift your mood and awareness. You are beginning to live more consciously!
#2. Write a “Thank You” note.
As the above mentioned study showed, writing a “Thank You” note is a powerful way to tap into the capacity of gratitude by expressing it to someone you love, respect and/or admire.
Within your “Thank You” note, try to express your appreciation and gratitude for that person’s impact on your life. When you’re done, send it or better yet deliver and read it in person.
#3. Express your gratitude.
If you don’t have time to write a letter, no worries, you can still verbally express your gratitude to your friends, employees/employer or anyone you come in contact with during the day that causes you to pause, and feel thankful.
By expressing your thanks to someone else you not only bring positive energy into your life, but also to the recipient. You never know how your positive energy could change someone’s day, or better yet his/her life.
#4. Be mindful.
Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgement. Fall into the sensations of each present moment: the warmth of the sun on your skin, the sound of the breeze in the trees, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, or the feeling of comfort when you slip into bed for the night.
Being present within the sensations of life and acknowledging your gratitude for these feelings attracts more positive feelings, and can change your entire perspective. It becomes a healthy habit!
#5. Keep it simple.
Allowing yourself to live simply helps remove unneeded possessions, and stops you from doing unimportant tasks. Clearing up your schedule allows for more time to relish in the moment, instead of mindlessly moving from task to task, feeling stressed and dissatisfied.
Practice makes perfect.
Gratitude can improve the quality of your life, but for most of us, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to retrain your mind. Writing things down makes them more real and connects the practice in a physical way.
Over time, you will find that gratitude affects life by giving you more peace of mind. It’s a new way of seeing things with appreciation for the beauty that’s all around, once you start to pay attention. Eventually you’ll move from living in a state of lack to living in abundance.
This will ripple out to improve your health, relationships, emotions, and career. Gratitude is a sure path to both success and happiness.
What are you grateful for today? Start by sharing your answers with us in the comments below.