The Relationship between Gratitude and Happiness

Everybody needs a pick-me-up now and then. Perhaps we spend time with our favorite friends, indulge in our favorite meals, and/or watch our favorite movies. All of these methods are effective at lifting spirits, but is there more to the solution than simply engaging in something enjoyable? Perhaps our point of view and approach are to blame. Possible Contribution of Gratitude

Please and thank you are two phrases that most of us were trained to use at one point in our lives. One social norm many of us adhere to is expressing gratitude for the positive experiences we've experienced. And it's great to be thankful; it's a nice, generous thing to do.

But how does it affect our moment-to-moment and long-term contentment? Studies, scientific studies, and cultural representations of the connection between thankfulness and contentment all point to a positive causality.

• Giving thanks can help your mental health.

Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., reflects on how an attitude of thankfulness might improve one's life. In her own words:

In spite of the brain's hardwired propensity to dwell on potential dangers, anxieties, and unfavorable circumstances, researchers have shown that practicing thankfulness can help counteract this inclination. Since gratefulness produces upbeat feelings like happiness, love, and contentment, it has the potential to break the hold that less desirable states of mind, like anxiety, have on a person.

Good mental health can be promoted by maintaining a cheerful outlook and a sense of gratitude for the many blessings in one's life. Moreover, regular thankfulness practice might help you develop resilience in the face of stress and sadness.

This is especially important in the current atmosphere, where depressing news stories are commonplace. The mental health benefits of practicing thankfulness are well-documented, and they extend to increased resilience in the face of adversity.

• Becoming grateful might boost your optimism.

The study of thankfulness is wide and nuanced.

Two psychologists divided research participants into three groups to examine the effects of thankfulness. One group documented their gratitude for a week, another recorded their frustrations, and a third documented significant experiences in their lives. It was found that those who kept a gratitude journal felt better about themselves and their lives overall. They also engaged in greater physical activity and saw their doctors less often than those who concentrated on stressors.

Incorporating an attitude of thankfulness improved their health in all aspects. This further supports the idea that focusing on what you do have, rather than what you don't, can have positive effects on your life and the lives of those around you. Rather of dwelling on what you do not have, shifting your emphasis to what you might be grateful for might be a great boon to your future ambitions. Optimism can serve as a powerful fuel that helps us get where we're going.

• The practice of gratitude can enhance interpersonal bonds.

Being appreciative of others and grateful yourself are both charming traits that can help you build stronger bonds. Cristen Conger from How Stuff Works identified three stages of gratitude: appreciation, benevolence, and expression. When a friend unexpectedly offers you a gift, you experience joy and the urge to show your appreciation by doing something in return.

Expressing thanks to others is a positive character trait that strengthens relationships and shows appreciation to those who have helped you. In addition, it allows everyone around you to experience the joy that you're feeling.

Similarly, this is relevant when considering the act of gift giving. Giving a present to someone we care about can have just as many positive effects as receiving one. The act of bringing joy to another person, via the giving of a thoughtful and unique present, has been shown to have a positive effect on the giver as well as the recipient. Supposedly from the South University Review:

Seeing the happiness on the recipient's face after receiving a gift is a priceless experience. By allowing us to show our appreciation and value for one another, gifts are a wonderful method to communicate our emotions. The relationship between the provider and receiver is the primary factor in the intensity of the communicated emotions.

• Be thankful; it'll do wonders for your ego.

It's human nature to dwell on the bad rather than the good, but when you're going through a rough patch and self-deprecating ideas keep running through your head, it can help to make a list of all the positive things in your life.

Sonja Lyubomirsky argues that gratitude is the key to pleasure and that it can significantly improve one's sense of value and pride in oneself.

You gain self-assurance and a sense of accomplishment when you recognize the kindness of others and the success you've achieved.

This is a difficult goal to accomplish, but beginning with just one or two accomplishments you are really pleased with can serve as a gentle reminder of your worth, especially in trying times.

It's obvious that being grateful has a positive effect on one's mood, and that when practiced earnestly, the two go hand in hand. To reap the advantages and make the transformations that these ideas promise, you need to be genuine in your appreciation, to want to be thankful and to hold on to that emotion, and to engage in a regular practice of thankfulness.

However, it's easier said than done to think positively; you need a support system, positive models, and drive to pull yourself out of negative thought patterns. Make a mental list of your blessings every day and before you know it, you'll have formed a new habit.