It seems that being grateful is something we have to work at. It comes easily to some people but as a challenge to most of us
Researchers from the school of Positive Psychology have confirmed in many studies that regular demonstrations of gratitude will make you happier and healthier. The simple act of gratitude, when regularly practiced, can make a significant improvement in people’s lives.
Dr. Alex Wood, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick defines gratitude as “a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world. As such, gratitude is an integral part of well-being. Gratitude can be contrasted with a depressive bias – where depressed people focus on the negative in the self, world, and future. A grateful personality leads to well-being during everyday life.” (In a recent interview by Senia Maymin carried in the International Positive Psychology Association Newsletter of April, 2008)
University of California psychology professor Robert Emmons maintains that “Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, (and) regular physical examinations.” His research finds that grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that boosts the immune system.
Many psychologists recommend that we begin each day with a few moments spent in awe of something beautiful or fascinating, and feeling gratitude for the experience. University of Virginia Psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Dacher Keltner, University of California-Berkeley Psychology professor, noted that “People consistently report that experiences of awe and elevation have profound outcomes, motivating self-improvement, personal change, altruistic intentions and actions, and the devotion to others and the larger community.” (Character Strengths and Virtue, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman)
It seems that being grateful is something we have to work at. It comes easily to some people but as a challenge to most of us. Sometimes people cringe at the thought of completing a gratitude exercise to improve wellness. It seems ‘silly’. But science is as good as it gets when it comes to proving something to be beneficial. Positive Psychology is very much evidence-based in its approach. I think stress east away at our natural capacity to be ‘grateful’. It makes us focus on the thing that we don’t have – the things that are wrong with out life. Let’s make today a day where we celebrate all that we have and keep reminding ourselves and others about how fortunate we are. It’s good for us!