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Creates More Happiness and Optimism 2\. Positively Changes Your Brain 3\. Eases Symptoms of Depression 4\. Reduces stress 5\. Increases Emotional Resilience 6\. Gratitude is a choice, and there are many ways to incorporate it into your life: In America, we often think about gratitude more as Thanksgiving approaches, but Emmons, the leading scientific expert in gratitude, teaches about gratitude as a lifestyle. His research consistently reveals that gratitude improves all aspects of our health: physically, socially, and psychologically. People who cultivate gratitude into their lifestyles have stronger immune systems, so they are less physically sick. They also sleep better and tend to take better care of their health by exercising, eating healthfully, and getting regular check-ups. Socially, gratitude opens the door to ongoing relationships, so grateful people are more supported and feel less lonely. They are also more generous, forgiving, and compassionate towards others. In addition to physical and social benefits, gratitude benefits us psychologically. Here are five psychological benefits of gratitude. ## 1\. Creates More Happiness and Optimism Emmons’ first gratitude study revealed that after ten weeks of writing in a gratitude journal once a week for ten weeks, participants were 25% happier than those who didn’t journal their gratitude. Being happier in itself sounds lovely, but happiness also creates wonderful things to happen in your life. You’re optimistic when you’re happy, which creates better social and work relationships, satisfying marriages, quality work, and higher income. Happy people enjoy more energy, better health, less stress, and longer life. We often think that a healthy and prosperous life is what creates happiness, but research reveals that happiness precedes these successful life outcomes in life. And how can we increase our happiness to have a healthier and more satisfying life? Practice gratitude. ## 2\. Positively Changes Your Brain By practicing gratitude, we can change our brains to automatically default to an attitude of gratitude. How amazing is that? Hebb’s law is a theory that states, “neurons that fire together wire together.” Each time we think a thought, we are creating neural pathways in our brains. Each time we think of a negative thought, we are building connections in our brains to think negatively in the future. The same happens with positive thoughts. This means whatever we pay attention to grows stronger as the neural pathway connections in our brains grow stronger. When we practice gratitude, our attention shifts and creates pathways for a lifestyle of gratitude and all its benefits. ### Take Our Quick & Easy Anxiety Questionnaire Persistent and uncontrollable anxiety that disrupts your daily life could be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Take this assessment to identify symptoms commonly associated with anxiety and understand if you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Start Questionnaire This health survey is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any personal health concerns. Completion of this survey does not establish a patient-clinician relationship. Responses are NOT monitored. If you are thinking of harming yourself or others please call toll-free 9-8-8 for the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7), 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room. By proceeding, you acknowledge this disclaimer and agree that this tool is for general awareness only. You assume all risks associated with its use. The survey administrators are not liable for reliance on its content. The above health survey is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire GAD-7. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are Pfizer products. PHQ Copyright © 1999 Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute. Over the last two (2) weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems? "\*" indicates required fields Step 1 of 8 12% Question 1\* Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 2\* Not being able to stop or control worrying | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 3\* Worrying too much about different things | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 4\* Trouble relaxing | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 5\* Being so restless that it is hard to sit still | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 6\* Becoming easily annoyed or irritable | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Question 7\* Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen | Not At All | Several Days | More than Half the Days | Nearly Everyday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Your Zip Code\* Please enter your zip code ## 3\. Eases Symptoms of Depression When we experience gratefulness, our bodies release dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which are all “feel good” hormones. This allows a person to experience an overall sense of well-being. Along with the hormone boost, gratitude reduces neural pathways for toxic emotions and depression, according to Emmon’s research. ### LifeStance Health is a national leader in mental, behavioral, and emotional wellness with multiple locations in 33 states. Services vary by location. #### Find a provider near you: - \\ \\ Arizona](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/az/) - \\ \\ California](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ca/) - \\ \\ Colorado](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/co/) - \\ \\ Delaware](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/de/) - \\ \\ Florida](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/fl/) - \\ \\ Georgia](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ga/) - \\ \\ Illinois](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/il/) - \\ \\ Indiana](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/in/) - \\ \\ Kansas](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ks/) - \\ \\ Kentucky](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ky/) - \\ \\ Maine](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/me/) - \\ \\ Maryland](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/md/) - \\ \\ Massachusetts](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ma/) - \\ \\ Michigan](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/mi/) - \\ \\ Minnesota](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/mn/) - \\ \\ Missouri](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/mo/) - \\ \\ Nevada](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/nv/) - \\ \\ New Hampshire](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/nh/) - \\ \\ New Jersey](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/nj/) - \\ \\ New York](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ny/) - \\ \\ North Carolina](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/nc/) - \\ \\ Ohio](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/oh/) - \\ \\ Oklahoma](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ok/) - \\ \\ Oregon](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/or/) - \\ \\ Pennsylvania](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/pa/) - \\ \\ Rhode Island](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ri/) - \\ \\ South Carolina](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/sc/) - \\ \\ Tennessee](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/tn/) - \\ \\ Texas](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/tx/) - \\ \\ Utah](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/ut/) - \\ \\ Virginia](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/va/) - \\ \\ Washington](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/wa/) - \\ \\ Wisconsin](https://lifestance.com/provider/all/wi/) ## 4\. Reduces stress When we think about what we are thankful for, our parasympathetic nervous system kicks in. This decreases the stress hormone, cortisol, and may increase the bonding hormone, oxytocin. ## 5\. Increases Emotional Resilience No doubt recovering from trauma is a difficult journey. Research reveals that gratitude helps people recover from trauma and become more resilient. It appears that it takes a more extended time period of gratefulness to see the positive impacts. As you can see, a lifestyle of thankfulness is powerful. ## Gratitude is a choice, and there are many ways to incorporate it into your life: - Keep a written gratitude journal - Write thank-you notes - Notice the little things you are thankful for - Tell your loved ones why you appreciate and love them [Make an Online or In-Person Appointment](https://lifestance.com/provider/) ### Latest News From LifeStance Health Δ Email Address(Required) ### Authored By [LifeStance Health](https://lifestance.com/clinical-experts/) LifeStance is a mental healthcare company focused on providing evidence-based, medically driven treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults. * * * ### Content Notice [IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CONTENT](https://lifestance.com/content-disclaimer/) Search Results× ⌕ × ### Find a Provider Near You Search by City or ZIP CodeSearch ### Search Articles ×