Gratitude is a key element of Buddhist philosophy, but in the West we have only just begun to rediscover its enormous power. In fact, gratitude is one of the paths that leads us to happiness and its practice can radically change our lives because it allows us to adopt a different perspective, more focused on the here and now, focused on what we have, rather than on what we lack.
In recent years, scientific psychology has also begun to take an interest in gratitude, giving rise to a series of studies that demonstrate its importance in improving our emotional well-being.
7 effects of gratitude that will change your life
- It will make you happier. Gratitude is experienced in different ways: some people count their gifts, others enjoy what life has given them, and others decide to share it with others. However, no matter what form it takes, it has been proven that the mere act of feeling grateful makes us happier.
In a study conducted at the University of California, psychologists asked some participants to make a list of things they were grateful for for 10 weeks. Others simply had to write about a neutral topic. After that time, it was found that people who had practiced gratitude reported feeling 25% happier and more satisfied with life.
- It will bring you greater satisfaction. Gratitude does not only mean feeling better but also thinking better. In other words, it is not a fleeting feeling but a way of thinking that lasts over time and generates changes in our attitude and vision of the world.
Therefore, people who have reasons to be grateful and acknowledge them, also feel more satisfied with their lives. Gratitude encourages us to change the prism through which we see the world, allows us to realize the things we have and teaches us to focus on the positive aspects, rather than on the shortcomings. In this regard, Erich Fromm said: “If you are not happy with everything you have, you will not be happy with everything you lack either.”
- It will make others more willing to help you. When we say thank you, we are not only expressing our gratitude but we are also motivating that person to help us again. When we thank someone for their help, we are telling them that we recognize their effort and that it has been important to us.
A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that when people received a simple thank you email, their willingness to help again increased from 32% to 66%, almost double. It was also found that what motivated people to offer their support was knowing that they were appreciated and valued by someone.
- It will help you fight materialism. We all need certain things to live, but sometimes the desire to have more is beyond our control. Obviously, society also exacerbates this consumerism. However, going after possessions only ensures a great deal of stress and permanent dissatisfaction.
The problem is that consumerism and materialism lead us to continually focus on what we don’t have, rather than feeling satisfied with what we have already achieved. Therefore, an excellent strategy to combat this materialism is to practice gratitude. Always keep in mind Epicurus’s quote: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you do not have; remember that what you now have was once something you only desired.”
- It will increase your self-control. It is not true that emotions negatively affect our reasoning, or at least not always. To make good decisions it is not always necessary to “calculate” and have a “cool mind”. In fact, feeling grateful guides us to make better decisions.
In a study conducted at Northeastern University , psychologists told people that they would be given $54 immediately or $80 within 30 days. Before making a decision, they generated different emotional states: joy, gratitude or neutrality. Curiously, only the people who experienced gratitude decided to postpone the reward. The secret is that when we feel grateful, we shed selfishness and clothe ourselves with patience, enhancing self-control.
- It will improve your health. Gratitude reduces daily stress. When we feel grateful, we perceive that everything is working well in our world, it is as if our “self” is in perfect harmony with the universe. Therefore, it is not strange that gratitude ends up positively impacting our physical health.
In fact, a study conducted at Grant MacEwan University found that spending just 15 minutes listing the reasons we can feel grateful before going to sleep qualitatively improves the quality of sleep. It has also been observed that people who practice gratitude maintain healthier lifestyle habits and have a longer life expectancy.
- It will help you become more resilient. If we take into account that sooner or later adversity will knock on our door, we will understand the importance of developing strategies to deal with problems and the suffering they can cause. Gratitude is one way to develop resilience.
Recognizing what we can be grateful for, even in the worst of times, is an essential skill for better coping with problems and adopting a resilient attitude. This has been demonstrated by various studies, including one conducted with Vietnam War veterans, in which it was found that those who experienced gratitude were less likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress.
3 simple exercises to develop gratitude
The good news is that gratitude is a feeling that can be cultivated. You just have to make the effort to do so. In fact, consider that the worst enemy of gratitude is habit. When we get used to something and take it for granted, we stop perceiving its importance and our satisfaction decreases. It’s like when we walk into a room and smell freshly baked bread, but after a short time, we get used to it and stop smelling it. In that case, we will have to leave the room and come back in to perceive the aroma with the same intensity. Something similar happens with gratitude; sometimes it is necessary to consciously direct our gaze towards the reasons we have to feel grateful.
- Keep a gratitude journal. This is a very unique journal because you don’t have to write a lot, just write down the reasons why you can feel grateful. Every time a reason comes to mind, no matter how small, write it down. You may find it difficult at first because the natural tendency is to focus only on big goals, but as you develop this feeling, you will be amazed to discover thousands of reasons why you can feel grateful.
- Find 3 reasons to be grateful every day. Ideally, every night before you go to bed, think of three reasons for which you can feel gratitude. They should be things that have happened to you throughout the day. There are probably days when everything has gone wrong, it will be harder for you to find those reasons but if you try hard, you will discover that they exist. The simple fact of being alive and healthy is more than enough reason to feel grateful.
- Look to the future. One secret to boosting gratitude is to look to the future, to appreciate the present. In fact, a curious study conducted at Pomona College in California revealed that what makes thoughts of gratitude so valuable is the prospect that certain experiences will end. When you look to the future and realize that many of the things you enjoy today may not be there tomorrow, you will feel enormously grateful. Thinking about losses does not imply a pessimistic attitude but rather helps us to appreciate more what we have and to enjoy it, while we can.
References:
DeSteno, D. et. Al. (2014) Gratitude. A Tool for Reducing Economic Impatience. Psychological Science ; 25(6): 1262-1267.
Grant, AM & Gino, F. (2010) A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ; 98(6): 946-955.
Wood, A.M. et. Al. (2010) Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration Alex M. Wood. Clinical Psychology Review ; 30(7): 890-905.
Kurtz, J.L. (2008) Looking to the Future to Appreciate the Present. The Benefits of Perceived Temporal Scarcity. Psychological Science ; 19(12): 1238-1241.
Digdon, N. & Koble, A. (2006) Effects of Constructive Worry, Imagery Distraction, and Gratitude Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Pilot Trial. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being ; 3(2): 193-206.
Kashdan, T.B. et. Al. (2006) Gratitude and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in Vietnam war veterans. Behavior Research and Therapy ; 44(2): 177-199.
Emmons, RA & McCullough, ME (2003) Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; 84(2): 377-389.
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