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5 Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude is a practice that can make us feel happier and more content when it becomes a daily habit. It only takes a few minutes to think of everything that you have to be thankful for and studies are now showing that being grateful has significant physical and mental health benefits. Being mindful of everything that you have to be grateful for can be difficult at first but it becomes easier over time if you do it every day.  Here are 5 proven benefits of gratitude.

Increases happiness and self esteem

A study has shown that teenagers who are grateful and maintain a positive outlook are happier, have better self-esteem, are more hopeful and are better behaved than their non-grateful counterparts.

Boosts well-being

Studies have shown that people who take the time to jot down what they are grateful for are happier and healthier than those who don’t practice gratitude or those that focus on the negative aspects of their life.  Those who are grateful are more likely to be optimistic which is known to boost immunity. One study showed that optimistic students had more immune-boosting blood cells than their pessimistic peers.

Another study showed that people who expressed gratitude about themselves and their lives were physically healthier. Other studies have found that grateful people feel less aches and pains and take care of themselves better. This could be attributed to the fact that gratitude can act as a buffer against stress.

Improve school marks

High school students who practice gratitude are more likely to achieve higher marks, have smooth social integration and maintain a high level of life satisfaction than those who do not practice gratitude. Research has also shown that teenagers who are grateful are less likely to be depressed and jealous.

Improve sleep quality

Those who spend 15 minutes practicing gratitude journaling before bed, fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.

Strengthen relationships

By maintaining an attitude of gratitude for all the things that your romantic partner does you can make your relationships stronger according to the Journal of Personal Relationships. The study found that journaling about all the nice things that your significant other does is linked to better relationship results.

Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/gratitude-healthy-benefits_n_2147182.html
http://europe.newsweek.com/5-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude-398582?rm=eu