Gratitude Does the Mind, Body and Soul Good!

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~David Steindl-Rast

Last week I gave you an interesting statistic on the power of gratitude… I shared that people who have a gratitude practice of writing down at least 5 things they are grateful for once a week can boost their happiness by as much as 25% in as little as 10 weeks. Which is a compelling statistic in and of itself. But today I want to share a few more facts with you about the power of gratitude. (Just in case a 25% increase in happiness isn’t enough to convince you that it’s worth it to have a gratitude practice.) 😉  

So Robert Emmons, who is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of gratitude along with his colleague Mike McCollough were the first researchers to discover the profound benefits of gratitude through their studies.

What they found was that people who regularly cultivate gratitude “experience a multitude of psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual benefits.” He says that “Gratitude has one of the strongest links to mental health and satisfaction with life of any personality trait – more than even optimism, hope, or compassion.” And that people who are grateful experience higher levels of positive emotions like joy, enthusiasm, happiness, optimism and even love. The research has also determined that a regular practice of gratitude helps us avoid destructive impulses and behaviors such as envy, resentment, greed and bitterness.

In addition, people who experience gratitude tend to be more resilient and are better able to cope effectively with stress. Not to mention the health benefits! Grateful people seem to be healthier in general and are able to recover more quickly from illness. Crazy right? Did you have any idea that gratitude could be that powerful?

Wait till you hear what else Robert Emmons found… As he explains in his book, Gratitude Works!,

"Consider these eye-popping statistics. People are 25 percent happier if they keep gratitude journals, sleep one-half hour more per evening, and exercise 33 percent more each week compared to persons who are not keeping these journals. … Experiencing gratitude leads to increased feelings of connectedness, improved relationships, and even altruism. We have also found that when people experience gratitude, they feel more loving, more forgiving, and closer to God.”

So, there you have it, the science is undeniable, gratitude really does work. Grateful people in basically every way – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – tend to be healthier and happier than less grateful people. Being grateful is good for your mind, body, and soul.

Therefore, what are you waiting for? If you don’t already have a regular gratitude practice, what better time to start than now? Go ahead and give the practice of gratitude a try. What 5 things can you be grateful for right now? Got them written down? Great… Now make a commitment to yourself to be consistent with that practice for the next couple months and see how you feel. It might not only make your holidays a little brighter and less stressful, but it could just change your whole life for the better.