“I opened two gifts this morning. They were my eyes.”
Imagine if you started your day with that simple thought; that it is a blessing just to wake up and experience another day. Would the rest of your day unfold differently? Would you treat yourself and others with more respect and empathy, and have a zest for life? Would the rest of your life turn out differently if you did this every day?
A growing body of research shows that regularly expressing gratitude, whether in self-reflection or showing appreciation to someone else, can have a significant effect on our overall health and, subsequently, our happiness. Here are five surprising ways that gratitude can positively impact your health and well-being.
1. Gratitude Can Improve Your Physical Health
A recent study by the University of California San Diego’s School of Medicine found that people who were more grateful had better heart health, specifically less inflammation, lower blood pressure and healthier heart rhythms. Another study by researchers at the universities of Utah and Kentucky observed that gratitude can boost your immune system. In their study, stressed-out law students who categorized themselves as more optimistic had more disease-fighting cells and less cortisol (stress hormones) in their bodies. The research doesn’t stop there. In numerous other studies, grateful people reported experiencing fewer aches and pains, scheduled more frequent check-ups with their physicians and even exercised more.
2. Gratitude Increases Your Mental Strength
Gratitude has the power to reduce unfavorable (and toxic) emotions such as envy, resentment, aggression, frustration and regret. Instead of dwelling on the negative or “comparing up” to what others have, focus is placed on accepting and being thankful for what you have. In addition, gratitude has also shown to help people overcome mental trauma. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for, even during times of struggle, fosters resilience.
3. Gratitude Can Improve Performance
When you take 10 athletes of equal ability and give five of them mental training, the five with mental training will outperform the others every time. A study published in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology found that gratitude increased athlete’s self-esteem, which is essential to optimal performance. Instead of trying to emulate another athlete, or attempting to conjure a persona that doesn’t exist, the ability to accept who they are and what they can do helped improve their performance. Similarly, being grateful to have the opportunity to perform or compete in an athletic event automatically shifts the perspective from intense pressure, performance anxiety and feelings of dread, to that of a clear head, enjoyment and control. No wonder the pre-game football chant made famous in Friday Night Lights was, “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”
4. Gratitude Can Improve Your Quality of Sleep
A task as simple as writing down three things you are grateful for before going to bed has been shown to help improve quality of sleep. A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that not only did regular expression of gratitude cause individuals to sleep better; it also caused them to sleep longer and wake up feeling more refreshed than those who didn’t.
5. Gratitude Opens Doors to New Relationships
It’s no secret that happy, positive and grateful people attract relationships like magnets. Would you rather be around someone who appreciates you or someone that doesn’t? Whether you thank someone for holding the door for you or thank a co-worker for their help, sincerely acknowledging others can open doors and lead to new relationships and opportunities.
“Make it a habit to tell people thank you; to express your appreciation sincerely and without expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life and you’ll find that you have more of it.”
– Ralph Marston