The Power of Gratitude
Taking the time to feel gratitude can have powerful and positive emotional benefits. It can even help your physical health, as shown in an ever-growing body of research.
Practicing gratitude can make you happier, reduce your stress levels, improve your relationships, cause you to be more patient and compassionate, and help you stick to healthy eating and exercise habits. In an amazing way, this single practice can improve many important elements of your wellbeing.
What is gratitude?
At a basic level, gratitude is simply the feeling of being grateful. However, it's deeper and more important than that. Robert Emmons, one of the leading researchers into gratitude and its effects, defines two distinct elements of gratitude. First, it is "the acknowledgment of goodness in one's life." Second, it is the recognition that "the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside the self" (Emmons, 2007).
So, gratitude is both an appreciation—a reminder to yourself of what's good—and a humble acceptance that those positive aspects of life aren't all your own doing—that you have other people and other forces outside yourself to thank.
What are the benefits of practicing gratitude?
Researchers have tested the effects of gratitude on people who have adopted gratitude practices or been made to feel gratitude as part of controlled experimental studies. The results of this ever-growing body of research show a wide range of positive effects flowing from the experience and practice of gratitude. Below are some of the benefits of gratitude that have been found through research.
Emotional Effects
Emotional effects include
- Higher levels of positive emotions, such as joy, serenity, optimism, and hope
- Improved self-esteem
- Greater emotional resilience
Physical and Mental Health Effects
Physical and mental health effects include
- Reduced stress and a strengthened ability to handle stressful situations
- Improved exercise and eating habits
- Improved sleep quality
- Lower blood pressure
- Fewer symptoms of illness
- Reduction in symptoms of physical pain
- Reduction in symptoms of depression
- Reduction in suicidal ideation
Improved Relationships
Gratitude has been shown to correlate with
- Improved quality of relationships
- A wider network of friends
- An increased tendency to be helpful, generous, and compassionate
- A reduction in negative social emotions such as envy and aggression
- A greater tendency to be forgiving
- Reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation
- Higher levels of social support
Positive Effects at Work
Positive effects of gratitude at work include
- Reduced work stress
- Greater effectiveness as managers and team members
- Greater patience and improved decision-making abilities
- Higher job satisfaction and improved feelings of fulfillment at work
Effects on Behavior and Self-Control
Gratitude results in an improved ability to act for long-term benefit, rather than giving in to short-sighted urges. This includes a greater inclination to exercise, eat healthy foods, and save money for future needs.
How does gratitude lead to these positive effects?
David DeSteno, another leading researcher into the effects of gratitude, sees gratitude as a positive emotion that helps people build better futures for themselves. By practicing gratitude, you unleash a cascade of positive effects—on your emotions, health, relationships, and your ability to adopt healthy behaviors—by increasing your desire to treat others and yourself with care and compassion. While it's possible to use willpower to control negative emotions, suppress self-defeating urges, and behave as people know they should, it can also be exhausting. DeSteno believes that the practice of gratitude leads people to value caring, future-oriented actions in ways that make it easier to act in ways that improve their lives (DeSteno, 2018).
How to Apply the Power of Gratitude
To harness the full power of gratitude, it helps to make a habit of considering what (and who) you are grateful for and taking the time to feel this positive emotion. This is the practice of gratitude. Here are some ways to build more gratitude into your life:
- Pay attention to the good. Look for opportunities to be grateful in your daily life. That might be something beautiful you notice—the light in the morning sky, a tree, or a bird. It might be a simple act of civility—another driver making way for you in traffic, help from a coworker, or the generosity of a friend. Look for new, good things every day.
- Take a moment to savor those good things. As you get into the habit of noticing the good things in your life, however small they might be, take a moment to savor and appreciate them. Let yourself feel the sensation of gratitude.
- Build a brief gratitude session into your day. Take one or two minutes at the start or end of your day to reflect on what you are grateful for—what is good in your life that comes from outside of you. Those might be the gifts of nature, family, friendship, or your religious faith.
- If you follow a religious practice, learn or create a prayer of gratitude. Gratitude is a basic tenet of many of the world's religions, and prayer is a way to express and connect with it. Find a gratitude prayer from your spiritual tradition or create a prayer of your own.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Write down the things you are grateful for in your life. Add to your list with new entries, trying not to repeat yourself. If you make this a habit, with new entries every week or two, you'll probably find that your feelings of gratitude grow with your expanding list. A blank notebook is all you need. Or you might use one of the many available gratitude apps on your phone.
- Express your thanks to others. Take the time to thank the people who are, or have been, an important part of your life. Call your mother or father and tell them how much you appreciate them. Thank a friend for being who they are. Thank the people at work who collaborate with you to accomplish something. Write a letter to someone who has made an important difference in your life, letting them know how grateful you are and how their influence has changed you for the better.
For More Information
DeSteno, D. (2018). Emotional success: The power of gratitude, compassion, and pride. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Where gratitude gets you (interview with David DeSteno) [Audio podcast]. (2020, November 23). Hidden brain. Hidden Brain Media. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://hiddenbrain.org
Emmons, R. (2007). Thanks! How the new science of gratitude can make you happier. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Ackerman, C. (2020, January 9). 28 benefits of gratitude & most significant research findings. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://positivepsychology.com
Morgan, H. (2021, January 25). The power of gratitude (B. Schuette & Z. Meeker, Eds.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options.