Gratitude has been found to be a strong predictor of happiness in positive psychology studies. Gratitude is a powerful tool for cultivating positive emotions, savoring good times, boosting one's health, dealing with hardships, and forging lasting connections.
In addition to the many other benefits of being thankful and appreciative, did you know that being grateful also improves your overall health? Here are some reasons to be thankful all year round, and not just on Thanksgiving.
1. You can strengthen your connections by expressing gratitude:
If you want to rekindle the romance in your relationship, instead of sending only flowers and chocolates, simply say thank you. Researchers have found that people who took their time to show appreciation for their partner felt more optimistic about their relationships and more comfortable discussing their concerns. People who had grateful partners reported feeling more connected to their spouses, as well as more pleased with their romantic relationship. Gratitude is a good thing regardless of whether you're in the honeymoon phase or just into your relationship. Gratitude for one's partner was associated with an increased marital satisfaction among young couples, and it was also identified as one of the most significant aspects in a long-term happy marriage (25-40 years).
2. Thanking others makes them feel valued:
When you express your gratitude to others for their kindness, you help them feel good about themselves. Best friends can be made this way. A plain "thank you" can go a long way toward improving your relationships with friends and family members. It's a win-win situation for everyone when you make others happy!
3. Gratitude has been shown to increase output and performance:
As a student, worker, or CEO, what really matters is that you're expressing thanks to those who helped you get where you are today.
Two separate studies have found that employees who get words of appreciation from their bosses may be more encouraged to work more, and that appreciative high school students have better grades and social integration than their less grateful peers.
4. Gratitude boosts your self-esteem.
Even something as basic as watching a gorgeous sunset can boost your self-esteem when you're appreciative for it. As a result, you'll feel more secure and less concerned about how you measure up to others. Infectious gratitude makes others want to be grateful, too!
5. Gratitude improves your outlook on life.
People who feel grateful tend to be more upbeat and less gloomy. Such people say that a glass is half-full when there is water in it. Negative folks, on the other hand, will observe the same glass of water and say it's half empty. Because they don't want to focus on what they don't have, they'd prefer to focus on what they actually have and derive happiness from it.
6. Your heart may benefit from it.
Exercising thankfulness and expressing appreciation not only benefits your heart metaphorically, but also protects it physically. In the treatment of hypertension and the reduction of sudden death due to congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease, these sensations may be beneficial, according to research studies. Optimism, a quality that is closely tied to gratitude, has also been associated with reduced blood pressure readings in medical studies. Study participants who were rated as highly optimistic had blood pressure values as high as those of pessimistic or anxious people during times they experienced negativity, regardless of their mood.
7. Promotes quality sleep.
It has been shown that keeping a gratitude notebook can improve sleep quality. Try expressing gratitude if you're having difficulties getting enough sleep. Before going to sleep, students who wrote in a gratitude notebook for 15 minutes a night reported feeling less anxious and more rested the next day. Gratefulness has been linked to higher sleep quality and duration, as well as less daytime drowsiness. Researchers found that those who express gratitude before going to bed have better sleep because they are less prone to entertain negative or worried thoughts before falling asleep. You'll get a better night's
sleep if you keep a gratitude journal next to your bed and make a list of all the things you're grateful for each day. That good sushi you had for supper, or the aid you received from a friend with your homework, can all be remembered thanks to this method. With a broad grin on your face, you'll nod off in no time.
8. It can ease tension and improve mental fortitude.
Even if the physical benefits of appreciation aren't enough for you, perhaps the mental reward will be enough. Veterans of the Vietnam War were found to have reduced incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder when they had higher levels of gratitude. Moreover, despite the fact that it may seem contradictory, expressing gratitude during difficult times might assist you in recovering better. After the September 11 attacks, researchers discovered that gratitude was a significant factor in people's ability to bounce back.
9. It's just a great feeling.
Empathy (the ability to perceive things from another person's perspective) is one of the benefits of being thankful. Because you can quickly recall all of the positive things in your life when you are thankful, being thankful will enable you to get through life's difficult situations. When you're appreciative, you're more likely to be joyful, which is good for your mental and physical health!
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