‘Tis the season to be thankful. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we get a built-in reminder to practice gratitude. That can go way beyond saying thanks to the person who prepared the meal on the table, though. Gratitude is an ongoing practice of taking the time and making the choice to notice and appreciate the good things in our lives. And it’s much more than a temporarily nice feeling. There are some specific things gratitude does that can improve your quality of life.
To give us all a little extra incentive to practice thankfulness through this Thanksgiving season and beyond, let’s look at some science-backed things gratitude does.
It makes you happier
Several studies have directly linked regularly practicing gratitude and feeling happier. In fact, the overall mood boost you’ll get from taking time to count your blessings is one of the biggest things gratitude does.
Here’s the thing, though: the happiness-gratitude connection takes time to develop. One quick session of making a list of things for which you’re grateful isn’t enough to yield depression-fighting, mood-boosting results. Instead, studies saw an uptick in happiness when people consistently took time to be grateful over a period of several weeks or longer.
That makes this Thanksgiving season a great time to dive in. Try taking some time to be consciously grateful each day over the next couple of weeks. Then check back in and see how you feel by the end of the month. The science says that most people will feel happier after a few weeks of consistent thankfulness practice.
It boosts your physical health
Being thankful doesn’t just deliver mental health perks. The list of things gratitude does includes physical benefits. One study found that people with a consistent gratitude practice made fewer doctor’s visits and exercised more. It can also help to lower your blood pressure and minimize headaches and stomach aches.
It gives us space from toxic emotions
When you commit yourself to some time for feeling thankful, you flip the script. When you’re thinking about the good things in your life, you create some distance from the things that might feel hard or overwhelming. A gratitude practice helps you manage stress and better control your reactions when challenging things crop up.
It can support healthier relationships
You can develop the habit of identifying the things you’re thankful for on your own, but it usually starts to spill over eventually. People who practice gratitude regularly generally find it easier to share say thanks to their friends, families, and romantic partners. This can help bolster those relationships.
Plus, studies show that when you’re sharing what you’re thankful for with others, it helps open up lines of communication. That can make it easier to express concerns and work through them together in a healthy, positive way.
Developing a gratitude practice
In our next blog, we’ll give you some specific ways you can work gratitude into your day.
But getting into a thankfulness mindset is easier for some people than for others. If you want help there, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center.
