Practicing gratitude has positive impacts on our health and well-being
Print
EmailResearch shows that giving thanks all year long is good for mental, emotional and physical health.
For many people, the holidays are a time to give thanks and reflect on what we’re grateful for. Some express appreciation for a warm meal prepared with love; others give thanks for precious friends and family—both those with us and those we’ve lost. While gratitude often takes center stage during the holiday season, the busyness and stress of everyday life can make it easy to overlook these simple yet meaningful expressions throughout the year.
Why is gratitude important?
Researchers and educators who study gratitude encourage us to practice feeling and expressing it regularly—and to support children and youth in doing the same. Gratitude doesn’t just feel good; it has real, measurable benefits for our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Here are several positive outcomes of gratitude, based largely on the research of Robert Emmons, Ph.D., and Michael McCullough, Ph.D.:
- Gratitude has a calming effect on the brain and body by releasing chemicals that foster contentment and motivation.
- People who kept gratitude journals reported exercising more, experiencing fewer physical symptoms, feeling more optimistic, and having greater overall life satisfaction compared to those who focused on negative or neutral experiences.
- Practicing gratitude helped individuals make more progress toward academic, relationship, and health-related goals.
- Daily gratitude practices increased pro-social behaviors, with participants more likely to offer emotional support or help with personal challenges.
- Participants with chronic health conditions reported sleeping better and waking up more refreshed.
- Youth who practiced daily gratitude showed increases in alertness, attentiveness, enthusiasm, energy, and determination.
- Children encouraged to express gratitude developed a more positive attitude toward school, and their minds were more open and ready to learn.
- Several studies have shown a strong connection between gratitude and reduced depression: the more grateful a person is, the less likely they are to experience depressive symptoms.
More than an “attitude of gratitude”
According to Brené Brown, Ph. D., gratitude goes beyond simply having a positive outlook. It’s an active process of self-reflection—taking time to notice what matters to us and then expressing that awareness through words or actions. This can take many forms: writing in a gratitude journal, meditating, praying, creating art, moving your body, singing, or simply saying out loud what you're grateful for.
Contrary to popular belief, these don’t need to be grand or dramatic gestures. In fact, the deepest feelings of gratitude often come from life’s small, everyday moments: noticing the shape of a tree, the softness of your pillow, the scent of a loved one’s hair, the ideas in a good book, the sound of a child’s laughter, or the flavor of a favorite food.
How to start a gratitude practice
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as shifting your attention toward what you feel thankful for—daily or weekly. You can also consider integrating gratitude into your mindfulness or self-compassion practices.
Michigan State University Extension provides emotional resiliency resources to help you learn more about practicing mindfulness and gratitude. Please visit our Mindfulness for Better Living website to explore our mindfulness programs.
