Neuroscience Shows: Gratitude Rewires Your Brain to be Happier

When we say “thank you”, do we really mean it or is it just politeness to which you give little attention?

Say what you mean and mean what you say

 

Neuroscientists discovered that if you really mean it or feel it when you say it, you’ll be happier and healthier. The regular practice of expressing gratitude is a New Age fad and a FACT – it’s also a facet of the human condition that reaps real benefits to those who mean it.

Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude.

One third of the subjects in the study were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third was asked to write down daily irritations or events that had displeased them. The last third of the group was asked to write down daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.

The gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives than the other groups. Real feelings that pump out real chemicals in the body that give real results in health. In addition, the gratitude group was more physically active and reported fewer visits to a doctor than those who wrote only about their negative experiences. (1)

Better Physical Health

Other research into the physical effects of gratitude report even more tangible results. Focusing on the positive and feeling grateful can improve your sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. (2) Furthermore, levels of gratitude correlate to better moods and less fatigue and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart failure, even for those who are susceptible. (3)

Gratitude and Your Brain

The multitude of reasons why gratitude is so impactful to health and well-being begin in the brain. In a neurological experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging as subjects were induced to feel gratitude by receiving gifts.

The areas of the brain showing increased activity were the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—those associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment. This led to the conclusion that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors. (4)