Health Viewpoints
Gratitude gets studied often for its therapeutic effects, but we might be overlooking its true nature. That said, the research can help some of us recognize gratitude’s importance and potency.
“Over the past few decades, social scientists have accumulated a body of research demonstrating how gratitude enhances well-being: improved self-esteem, better sleep, boosted immunity, decreased depression, reduced anxiety, stronger relationships, and more,” writes Gregory Jantz, Ph.D.,the founder and director of a mental health clinic in Edmonds, Wash.
Gratitude is consistently linked to better connections with those we care about and greater happiness.
“Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships,” note researchers at Harvard University.
There are physical effects as well, including lower biomarkers of inflammation and improved heart rate variability, a sign of cardiovascular and neurological health.
Research finds more grateful people are also more empathetic and generous. They even exercise more.
It’s worth considering why gratitude has such benefits.
Gratitude is to rejoice in what we have or experience. Its opposite is to despair in what we don’t have, or begrudge those who have what we want. Gratitude is the counter to jealousy and bitterness, it displaces such feelings. One heart cannot hold the two states at once.
Gratitude has very little to do with our actual circumstances, and far more to do with how we look at them. Gratitude isn’t something that happens to us, it’s something we do—and can learn to do more readily. It starts with self awareness.
1. Pause and Reconsider
For those that routinely experience the power of gratitude, we know that in moments of despair, discomfort, and anger, we can pause, reconsider our situation, and find profound relief.
For instance, I’ve made some very costly errors in our recent home renovation. These can haunt my mind at odd moments. But then I consider the lessons I learned from these errors and the skills I’ve gained in the process, and that regret and self-recrimination melts away.
2. Give Up On External Satisfaction
The pursuit of desire is never ending. Fulfilling our desires simply can’t deliver more than momentary satisfaction if you don’t practice gratitude. That new car quickly becomes last year’s model. That new pair of shoes becomes familiar and boring compared to what beckons from the store window. If we focus on what we want from the world around us, instead of appreciating what we already have, we will forever want more—and suffer for that desire.
3. Recognize The Miracle of Life
Spiritual truth is always rooted in gratitude. There is a soul-calming ease that comes in trusting there is a benevolent power for goodness in ultimate control of the universe. I think this is one of the reasons being in nature is so healing for people. It connects them to the beauty of creation. It reminds them there is something miraculous in life itself. For people of faith, understanding there is wisdom and kindness in the molecules of creation is a constant wellspring of gratitude.
Put another way, if you can have a base gratitude for your very existence, you are already rich beyond measure.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.