While we often are reminded to be grateful this time of year, practicing gratitude can be extremely beneficial year round. There are many easy ways to incorporate gratitude into our daily lives. Furthermore, these practices have physical, mental, and emotional health benefits including lowering rates of depression and anxiety, chronic pain, and risk of disease.
A 2017 study done at Berkeley proves just how powerful practicing gratitude can be. A group of participants (most college students) was divided into three groups. The first group was asked to write a letter of gratitude each week for three weeks to a person in their lives. The second group was asked to reflect on recent negative experiences they had faced. The third group did not participate in any writing activity. Participants who participated in gratitude letter writing self-reported better mental health for up to twelve weeks after the study was completed.
Other similar studies have even found that those who participated in gratitude journaling or practices exercised more frequently and had fewer doctor visits than those who did not participate. Furthermore, according to a 2011 study, practicing gratitude can help improve sleep, especially if it is done right before bed.
Gratitude is not only beneficial intrapersonally but in group professional settings. Researchers at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania studied this by randomly dividing a group of student fundraisers into two groups. The first group was asked to call and ask for donations from alumni as normal. The second group was given a pep talk from the director before calling alumni. The director reminded the students how grateful they were for their time and effort. The study found that the second group was more motivated to make these calls and received more donations than the group that did not receive positive affirmation for their work.
With the many positive benefits, it is difficult to understand why more people are not practicing gratitude more regularly, instead of the annual discussion at Thanksgiving dinner. However, many of us do not know what practicing gratitude more regularly can look like. Below are some practical ways to begin incorporating gratitude into your life.
An easy way to practice gratitude is to write three things you are grateful for every day. This simple task allows you to focus on the parts of your day that brought you joy, whether or not you realized it in the moment. Another way is to try writing gratitude letters once a week. This is a less frequent but more intensive and personal way of practicing gratitude that can benefit yourself as well as the person you are grateful for. These tasks strengthen our positive recall, teaching our brain to remember the positive moments rather than the negative ones. It is important to remember that practicing gratitude is not attempting to suppress negative thoughts or emotions. Instead, these practices magnify positive emotions to eventually outweigh the negative thoughts. Gratitude also teaches mental resilience, especially for those who face more serious anxiety, depression, or other mental health struggles. Studies have found that gratitude was a significant factor in helping people, such as Vietnam War Veterans and 9/11 first responders, cope with their trauma.
As the holidays (and finals season) approach us, remind yourself to take a break and practice being grateful. While gratitude is not the magic cure to anxiety and depression that comes with this season, it is a powerful practice that can be beneficial to all.
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