Gratitude In All Its’ Glory
When was the last time you thought about everything you had in life? When did you last really stop and acknowledge all the things you’re thankful for.
There are a lot of reasons you should make gratitude a part of your daily life. Gratitude offers you a whole bunch of health benefits ranging from a better immune system to a feeling of connectedness. That is why we at the Florida House wanted to compile a list of the biggest health benefit both physical and mental of practicing some daily gratitude. What are you most grateful for? Expressing it, may just be the boost you need.
1. It’s Good for Teens
Teens who express gratitude are happier according to the American Psychological Association. Researchers have also found that teens who are grateful are defined as having a positive outlook on life—are more well behaved at school and are more hopeful than their less grateful peers. Gratitude makes teens who are ready to make a difference in the world.
2. It Boosts Well-being
Being constantly mindful of all the things you have to be thankful for can quite literally boost your well-being, according to research. In a series of experiments in a study done by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, daily gratitude exercises such as listing off all the things you are thankful for are linked with a brighter outlook on life and a greater sense of positivity.
3. In School? Gratitude is Linked with Better Grades
High-schoolers who are grateful actually have better GPAs as well as better social integration and satisfaction with life. Researchers also found that grateful teens were less depressed or envious.
4. It Makes You a Better Friend
According to a study done by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, gratitude could also boost pro-social behaviors such as helping other people who have problems or lending emotional support to another person.
5. It Helps You Sleep Better
Writing down what you are thankful for as you drift off to sleep can help you get better ZZs according to a study in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Specifically, researchers found that when people spent 15 minutes jotting down what they are grateful for in a journal before bedtime, they fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer.
6. It Can Strengthen Your Relationship
Being thankful for the little things your partner does could make your relationship stronger according to studies. Journaling thoughtful things that your partner did was linked with a beneficial outcome on the relationship.
7. It is Good for Your Heart
A 1995 study in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that appreciation and positive emotions are linked with changes in heart rate variability. This is beneficial in the treatment of hypertension, and in reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease.
8. It Makes You a Team Player
Athletes are less likely to burn out and are more likely to experience high life satisfaction when they are grateful.
9. It Strengthens Your Immune System
Gratefulness is linked with optimism, which in turn is linked with better immune health. For example, a University of Utah study showed that stressed-out law students who were optimistic had more immune boosting blood cells than people who were pessimistic.
10. It Protects From Negative Emotions That Come With Extreme Loss
It is reported that negative events can boost gratitude and that gratitude can help boost feelings of belonging and decrease feelings of stress. For example, a survey showed that feelings of gratitude were at high levels after 9/11.
