Expressing gratitude can be one of the most powerful tools for fighting depression or anxiety. Gratitude can help improve your mood, decrease your stress levels, and increase your happiness. It can also help you to feel more connected to your emotions and happier in your life.
There are many ways to express gratitude. One way is to make a list of things you are grateful for every day. Another way is to think about three things you are grateful for every day. Another way is to make a donation to a charity or organization that you are grateful for. There are so many ways to express gratitude, and it is really up to you how you want to do it. The important part is that you try to find something to be grateful for every day.
The more you practice expressing gratitude, the easier it will become. It is important to remember that no matter what is going on in your life, there are always things to be grateful for. Even if you are feeling down, try to be optimistic.
How does being grateful lessen stress?
Dopamine and serotonin, two essential neurotransmitters involved in emotion, are released when we express gratitude, and they give us a “good” feeling. They instantly lift our spirits and give us an inner sense of joy.
The advantages of expressing gratitude
Gratitude practice has numerous advantages, both psychological and physiological. It has been demonstrated that consistent practice provides observable advantages for health.
increase in immunological function
It has been demonstrated that feeling grateful might help promote general well-being.
According to a 2004 research Source, stress reduces the immune response to potential bodily dangers, but improved mental health can assist your body in fending against illness.
Gratitude exercises can also enhance other facets of physical health, with one early-stage 2017 study (Trusted Source) indicating they can lower the dangers of heart failure.
strengthens mental health
One of several elements that support good mental health outcomes is gratitude.
One 2020 study found that being grateful on a regular basis can help reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms. Gratitude has been associated with an elevated mood, according to an older study from 2003.
Regularly expressing appreciation promotes positive emotions and can support a sense of well-being.
Enhanced connections
Not only does gratitude enhance your physical and mental health, but it may also strengthen your interpersonal connections.
Relationships are formed and strengthened in large part via expressions of gratitude.
Gratitude can make couples in love relationships feel more content with one another. According to a 2010 study, couples who express thanks to one another report higher levels of relationship satisfaction.
heightened optimism
According to a 2019 study, having a positive outlook on life can have several positive effects on one’s health, including healthy ageing.
dependable source According to a 2018 study, practicing thankfulness can help you develop an optimistic view if you don’t have one naturally.
In a previous 2003 study, participants felt more upbeat and optimistic about their present lives and the future after just 10 weeks of consistent thankfulness practice.
Harvard Medical
The majority of the research on thankfulness has been conducted by two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami. In one study, all participants were required to write a few phrases every week with a concentration on specific subjects.
One group wrote about the week’s events for which they were grateful. The third group wrote about experiences that had influenced them, while the second group wrote about daily annoyances or things that had made them unhappy (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). Those who wrote about gratitude were more upbeat and felt better about their lives after 10 weeks. Surprisingly, compared to those who concentrated on sources of irritation, they also exercised more and saw doctors less frequently.
Conclusion
Gratitude is regularly and substantially linked to happier lives in positive psychology studies. Gratitude improves one’s ability to experience more joyful feelings, enjoy pleasant memories, maintain excellent health, overcome challenges, and forge close personal bonds.
resources : healthline NHS theguardian harvard