Planet Buchanan

An article published in Discover Magazine this week states that practicing gratitude can positively impact your health. In fact, two psychologists published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude. One third of the study subjects were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third were asked to write down daily irritations or events that upset them. The final third was asked to document their daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.

The gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives than the other two groups. In addition, the gratitude group was more physically active and reported fewer visits to a doctor than those who wrote only about their negative experiences.

Another study looked at subjects who were given gifts while connected to an MRI machine. The areas of the brain associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment showed increased activity. Gratitude was also shown to activate the hypothalamus and the release of the pleasure hormone, dopamine. When researchers re-scanned the subjects three months later, they saw greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude – indicating that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects of the brain.

Finally, according to UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, having an attitude of gratitude literally changes the molecular structure of the brain, keeps the gray matter functioning, and makes us healthier and happier. When you feel happiness, the central nervous system is affected. You are more peaceful, less reactive, and less resistant.

So how do we practice an attitude of gratitude? It can be as simple as writing down 3 things you are grateful for every day. These don’t have to be big, grandiose things. Some days I am grateful for my morning coffee or the sun on my face. Other days I am grateful for the chance to spend time with my aging mom who has dementia, even though it can be hard.

Another way to practice an attitude of gratitude is to get into the habit of telling the people around you what you appreciate about them, or acknowledging something you have accomplished or something you like about yourself.

Here’s a little challenge for you – the next time you complain about something or someone, see if you can counter it with 3 positive things. For example, if you’re stuck in traffic – appreciate the opportunity to listen to music, notice the beautiful landscape outside, take a moment to do some deep breathing and be grateful for it.

Another easy way to practice an attitude of gratitude is to pick up a copy of my book The Serenity Journal: 365 Daily Prompts to Guide You on Your Path to Serenity. Each daily page offers you 3 spaces to make note of the things you are grateful for.

Thank you!