How Gratitude can change your life
According to Greater Good Magazine’s articles “Why Gratitude is Good” and “10 Ways to Become More Grateful,” Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., explains how the effects of gratitude can be life-changing. Dr. Emmons has been studying the effects of gratitude for over a decade and the results have been profound. Along with colleagues, he studied over 1,000 people from age eight to 80 and found that those who practice gratitude reported many benefits.
With just these simple practices of intention, you can change your life significantly.
Benefits of Gratitude
Physical
-Stronger immune systems
-Less bothered by aches and pains
-Lower blood pressure
-Sleep longer & feel more refreshed
Social
-More helpful, generous, compassionate, and forgiving
-More outgoing
-Feel less lonely and isolated
Psychological
-Higher levels of positive emotions
-More alert, alive, and awake
-More joy and pleasure
-More optimism and happiness
Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
Keep a gratitude journal
-Establish a daily practice in which you remind yourself of the gifts, grace, benefits, and good things you enjoy.
Watch your language
-Grateful people have a particular linguistic style that uses the language of gifts, fivers, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance.
Go Through the Motions
-If you go through the grateful motions, the emotion of gratitude should be triggered. Grateful motions include smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude.
Emmons, Robert. “Why Gratitude Is Good.” Greater Good, Nov. 2010, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good.
Robert Emmons. “10 Ways to Become More Grateful.” Greater Good, Nov. 2010, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_ways_to_become_more_grateful1/.