{"id":4250,"date":"2021-11-05T00:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T00:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=4250"},"modified":"2021-11-09T19:55:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T19:55:16","slug":"practice-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/practice-gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Science-Backed Reasons to Practice Gratitude, And How to Stick With It"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve likely heard it countless times: Gratitude is good for you. Maybe you\u2019ve even tried adopting a <\/span>gratitude practice<\/span> but it just wouldn\u2019t stick. <\/span>Or maybe you\u2019ve been a bit skeptical. Many of us dismiss gratitude as clich\u00e9 or futile when life gets frustrating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

According to therapist<\/span> Tiffany Lovell<\/span><\/a>, while gratitude doesn\u2019t change challenging situations, it can \u201csoften our soul to be able to rise above the difficulties and see them with different perspectives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Lovell calls gratitude a superpower that most of us don\u2019t even realize we have access to. Here\u2019s how to connect to your gratitude\u2014and why it really matters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

What is gratitude<\/span>, anyway?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/b>Simply put,<\/span> \u201cgratitude is the acknowledgment and deep appreciation for the blessings we are given,\u201d says<\/span> Reverend Connie L. Habash<\/span><\/a>, a marriage and family therapist, yoga and meditation<\/a> teacher, spiritual mentor, and author of \u201c<\/span>Awakening from Anxiety<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Is gratitude an emotion? Attitude? Action?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Actually, it can be all three. Leading gratitude expert Robert Emmons notes that<\/span> gratitude is a choice<\/span><\/a>. While we might not always <\/span>feel <\/span><\/i>grateful, we can still <\/span>be<\/span><\/i> grateful, writes Emmons.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Science-backed <\/span>benefits of gratitude<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Gratitude<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/b>Gratitude isn\u2019t a cure-all. But decades\u2019 worth of research have shown that gratitude can boost well-being. Most studies explore people\u2019s natural tendency toward gratitude or have participants practice a gratitude intervention. Here\u2019s just a snippet of gratitude\u2019s gains:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude pro: Positive emotions<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n

Gratitude has been linked to a flurry of feel-good emotions. In<\/span> one study<\/span><\/a>, naturally being more grateful predicted greater hope and happiness. In the same study, participants who wrote about a past situation they were thankful for also reported more hope and happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

A<\/span> 2019 study<\/span><\/a> found that participants who wrote about factors that contributed to a personal success that they were grateful for had higher levels of positive emotions than participants who didn\u2019t perform the intervention.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude may even help us cultivate a generally positive attitude toward life and reframe negativity, suggests this<\/span> 2019 study<\/span><\/a> of college students who recorded their gratitude twice a week for a month.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude pro: Better relationships<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

A<\/span> 2015 study<\/span><\/a> found that participants who felt appreciated and valued by their spouses felt better about their marriages, were more committed to them, and believed in their lasting power.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Researchers also found that expressions of gratitude buffered against negative communication patterns\u2014like couples criticizing and withdrawing from each other.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

In<\/span> another study<\/span><\/a>, participants who started expressing gratitude toward their loved ones reported greater satisfaction in their relationships six weeks later. Participants also felt like their friendships had improved.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude pro: Improved heart health<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/b>A<\/span> 2015 study<\/span><\/a> found that people with heart damage who were more grateful slept better, were less depressed, and less fatigued. They also felt more confident about their ability to care for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

In a<\/span> follow-up study<\/span><\/a>, researchers asked some of the participants to keep gratitude journals for two months. The people who penned their appreciations had reduced markers of inflammation<\/a> and increased heart rate variability\u2014a measure of decreased cardiac risk.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude pro: Burnout defense<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

Stress and burnout<\/a> can hammer our health. And with today\u2019s fast-paced and unpredictable world, many of us are feeling the emotional and physical strain. However, gratitude may help.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

According to a<\/span> 2018 study<\/span><\/a>, male firefighters in Korea who reported greater levels of gratitude experienced less stress, exhaustion, and cynicism (the last two being burnout factors). The researchers concluded: \u201cThese findings suggest that gratitude acts as an independent protective factor against stress and burnout.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

And people in another stressful job\u2014health care professionals\u2014reported less stress and depression after they wrote down what they were grateful for twice a week for a month, found a<\/span> 2015 study<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Writing gratitude letters may also be powerful. In a<\/span> 2020 study<\/span><\/a> of 1575 health care workers, spending just 7 minutes penning a gratitude letter to someone who positively affected their lives reduced participants\u2019 emotional burnout up to a week later.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Gratitude pro: Growth and resilience<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

Gratitude may also help us deal with stressful or traumatic experiences. According to a<\/span> 2019 study<\/span><\/a>, breast cancer patients who practiced gratitude\u2014versus those who kept a daily journal\u2014reported greater:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n