7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude should be a year-round habit due to the numerous surprising benefits it offers. Summarized below are 7 health benefits that Jamie Ducharme noted in a TIME article.

Improved Patience: A study from Northeastern University found that people who regularly felt grateful for everyday things displayed more patience and better decision-making abilities. They were more willing to delay immediate rewards for larger, delayed benefits.  

Enhanced Relationships: Gratitude towards your partner and vice versa can significantly improve relationship satisfaction and feelings of connectedness. This was concluded by a study in the Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology. 

Better Self-Care: Research published in Personality and Individual Differences discovered that gratitude positively correlates with physical and psychological health. Grateful individuals are more likely to engage in well-being promoting activities like exercise and healthy eating. 

Improved Sleep: Feeling grateful can lead to better and longer sleep. Positive thoughts before bedtime can soothe the nervous system, according to research in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 

Preventing Overeating: Gratitude can replenish willpower, helping individuals resist impulsive behaviors like overeating. Taking a moment to list things to be grateful for can help reset your mind during tempting situations. 

Easing Depression: Engaging in practices like the "three good things" exercise, where people reflect on positive moments from their day, can lead to substantial improvements in depression and overall happiness. Gratitude has the power to boost mood and well-being. 

Sustainable Happiness: Gratitude provides a lasting form of happiness. Unlike instant gratification, which fades quickly, gratitude fosters a sustainable state of well-being by shaping one's frame of mind. Regularly expressing gratitude and thankfulness can lead to enduring happiness. 

Incorporating gratitude into your daily life can lead to a wide range of mental and physical benefits, making it a practice worth embracing throughout the year. Whether you're looking to improve your patience, relationships, self-care, sleep, impulse control, mental health, or overall happiness, gratitude offers a simple yet powerful solution. 

Reference 

Ducharme, J. (2017, November 20). 7 surprising health benefits of Gratitude. Time. https://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/