Benefits of Gratitude

We are bombarded with negativity and manipulation, which keeps us weirdly addicted to the information that is feeding our unhappiness and inner angst. But if you turned off the television, shut down your phone, and closed the lid on your computer, life wouldn’t seem so bad, would it?

The antidote with all the negativity is gratitude. Gratitude for what you have right now. Gratitude for the people in your life. Gratitude for all good things that are available to you in this moment.

Gratitude, from the Latin for grata, which means grace, is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, as well as better physical and mental health.

In fact, gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day. Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money and it certainly doesn’t take much time, but the benefits are enormous. Research reveals gratitude can have these benefits:

Physical

• Better sleep
• Stronger immune function
• Improved pain tolerance
• Lower blood pressure

Psychological

• More alive
• Alert and active
• Improve mood
• Increase joy

Social

• More helpful
• More outgoing
• More compassionate

How do you express gratitude and how has the practice of gratitude impacted your life? Are you using gratitude journal?