The Science of Gratitude: Why Practicing Thankfulness Changes Everything

In this article, we will take a deeper look into understanding the science of gratitude and how practicing thankfulness can change everything.

In today’s date, when we are all caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget to pause and take a minute to feel grateful for all the good things that come our way. However, those who practice ‘gratitude’ in their daily lives have felt a significant difference in their emotions, relationships, and overall health.

Research by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has emphasized the science of gratitude, stating – “gratitude may be associated with many benefits for individuals, including better physical and psychological health, increased happiness and life satisfaction, decreased materialism, and more.”

Well, to say in simpler words, ‘gratitude‘ is more than just saying ‘Thank You’, it’s rather a powerful practice that can reshape our minds, impact our well-being, and strengthen our relationships.

Before discussing how to practice gratitude and what impact it can have on us, let us first understand ‘what is gratitude’?

As I mentioned earlier, gratitude isn’t just about saying ‘Thank You’, but a lot more than that. It is an emotion to express appreciation, no matter how small or big it is. Gratitude nurtures a sense of happiness, making us feel fortunate to have something or someone in our lives, that makes life a bit easier for us.

To quote Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California, “Gratitude helps people realize that they wouldn’t be where they are without the help of others.”

Over the last decades, scientists have taken the matter of ‘gratitude’ very seriously, and they have explained that gratitude can be a state and a trait. In easier words, you can experience gratitude for something or someone at a certain moment in time, or you can experience gratitude over a long period, making it a positive characteristic trait.

For example, if you are in trouble, and a friend comes to help you at that moment, you’ll feel grateful to him/her for being there by your side. This is the state of gratitude.

On the other hand, if you’ve found a life partner who keeps you happy and together you’ve been living the life of your dreams, then you can feel grateful to the universe, feeling a sense of gratitude every single day for the life you have. That’s a positive trait that you are nurturing over time.

The sense of gratitude comes from awareness and grows with practice.

How to practice gratitude in everyday life?

Well, now that you know gratitude is a lot more than just saying ‘thank you,’ let’s take a look and understand how we can practice gratitude in our daily lives. Researchers have to say that writing gratitude letters or maintaining a gratitude journal can greatly impact our mental well-being.

Similarly, practicing gratitude regularly can also boost our self-esteem and confidence, making us feel good about our own selves.

Here are some simple ways to practice gratitude in everyday life:

1. Keep a gratitude journal

It’s one of the simplest yet best ways to practice gratitude. Keep a notebook where you can regularly note down the things you’re grateful for – and it can be something as basic as a good meal, or a beautiful sunset to something like meeting a friend or having a heart-to-heart conversation with your partner.

Jotting down everything that you’re thankful for will eventually increase your happiness, and you’ll start valuing the little things. It’s undoubtedly the most powerful way to focus on the positive aspects of your life.

Related: How to start a gratitude journal

2. Write gratitude letters to your loved ones

In this age of text messages, letters might seem irrelevant to many – but trust me when I say this, a gratitude letter to your loved ones will help you nurture your relationships, in ways that nothing else can do.

A simple ‘Thank You’ note can brighten up someone’s day, and it’ll also make you feel happy. So pick up a pen and a paper, and write to a loved one, letting them know that they matter to you. Appreciate them for little things, and you’ll soon experience the goodness that comes along with gratitude letters.

3. Practice gratitude meditation

Meditation is a great way of expressing gratitude. It’s a practice that’ll help you to be mindful of your situation, cultivate consciousness of the present moment, and focus on the good things that surround your life.

4. Create a gratitude jar

Although it might sound like a simple act, it can have a great impact on those days when you feel low. Take a jar, and every day, write down one thing that you’re thankful for on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. This will help you to remember the little joys of life on a daily basis, and you can always read them out on challenging days.

5. Take a step to volunteer for a meaningful cause

Often, we tend to overlook the things we have in life, focusing more on what we don’t. Engaging in a meaningful volunteer project will definitely help you to be more aware of yourself, fostering a sense of gratitude. You can simply take some time out of your schedule and spend time at a childcare center or an old-age home, sharing some love and laughter with those who need it.

What are the benefits of practicing gratitude in life?

By now, you know that feeling grateful can change your mood, making you feel happier than usual. When you start practicing gratitude in your daily life, you slowly shift your thoughts from negative to positive ones and learn to appreciate the little things in life. You’ll also start to notice the good things that you may have overlooked in the past.

Your perspective towards life will change. You’ll be happy to have a job that helps you pay your bills, rather than cribbing about working an extra hour. You’ll appreciate having good friends in life, as well as a loving family. You’ll also learn to take care of your body, making an effort to stay healthy.

Practicing gratitude will lead to the secretion of serotonin and dopamine (also known as happy hormones), and reduce stress and anxiety. And in the long run, you’ll notice that it largely impacts your overall mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

To put it in the words of Buddha, “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.”

And if we talk about the science of gratitude, here are some proven benefits that researchers have mentioned time and again:

1. Practicing gratitude enhances self-confidence and self-esteem

Once you start practicing gratitude in your daily life, you’ll know that your existence is majorly fueled by your surroundings. You’ll be thankful for waking up with a healthy body; you’ll feel thankful for having food to eat; you’ll be thankful for the people who are there around you, and so forth.

And it is a proven fact that viewing the world with a sense of gratitude can eventually help us value ourselves more. For example, when you go out for dinner with a friend, you’ll start appreciating the fact that he/she enjoys spending time with you and they value your existence. While you’ll be grateful to them for having a nice dinner, you’ll also feel good about yourself, feeling more confident and happy.

2. Practicing gratitude makes you more patient

Research has proved that people who regularly express gratitude are more patient than those who don’t. When you start thanking the Universe in general, for all good things that come your way in life, you eventually tend to become patient.

You know that no matter how much time it takes, you’ll get what you deserve – happiness, love, money, and everything else that you wish for. Social scientists also believe that there’s a strong connection between gratitude and other virtues like humility and wisdom.

3. Practicing gratitude enhances the quality of sleep

For years, I’ve had trouble sleeping, and I only started healing a couple of years ago, after I started visiting my therapist. It was during that time, that I got to know that our emotions are directly related to our sleep cycle.

Anxiety reduces our peace of mind, disrupting the sleep cycle. As I read more and more about it, I learned that practicing gratitude can actually enhance the quality of our sleep, and there are fewer disturbances in our minds while resting. Expressing gratitude before going to bed can help us fall asleep with a positive mindset.

4. Practicing gratitude helps us to focus better in life

When you start practicing gratitude, you’ll be more mindful of the little things in life, as I’ve already mentioned before. This will eventually help you to focus better in life. You’ll be more aware of the things around you, and look at everything in a positive light.

Challenging tasks won’t make you feel scared. You’ll appreciate the opportunities, rather than focusing on the hurdles. It’ll thus, nurture your emotional resilience.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up your phone, and call your friend to say ‘thanks’ or just write that gratitude letter to your parents, expressing how you feel about them being there in your life.

No matter whether you are aiming to improve your mental or physical health, or trying to nurture your personal relationships – the science of gratitude is something that you should always remember.

Start cultivating gratitude in your life – focus on the good things – and let me know how you feel, in the comments below.