Submitted by Nancy Bergeron, Registered Psychologist
Being Grateful Helps You Sleep Better. A 2009 study found that grateful people sleep longer per night and have an easier time falling asleep. In addition, they feel more refreshed upon waking. Therefore, if you want to sleep soundly, instead of counting sheep, start counting your blessings.
Gratitude Gives You Peace of Mind. People who are grateful tend to be less materialistic than those who are not. Those who give thanks are less likely to judge their own success—as well as the success of others—based on the amount of possessions that they have accumulated. Grateful people are less envious of others. People who exhibit an attitude of gratitude are more likely to be satisfied with what they already have.
Gratitude Can Improve Your Romantic Relationship. Studies looked at how appreciation and gratitude influenced the relationship satisfaction and stability of committed couples. The results of the studies indicate that having an attitude of gratitude and appreciation has a significant positive impact on relationship satisfaction and stability. Here are two additional findings:
- Appreciative partners were more committed to the relationship than those who were non-appreciative.
- Appreciative partners were more likely to receive appreciation in return. That is, when a person feels valued by their partner they’re more likely to show appreciation toward the other person in return.
Being Grateful Makes You More Resilient. One of the best predictors of happiness and success is your level of resilience. That is, your ability to bounce back from setbacks and disappointments. And one way to become more resilient is through gratitude. In a study conducted at Eastern Washington University, participants were asked to recall an unpleasant open memory: a betrayal, victimization, or other upsetting experience. They were then divided into three groups:
- The first group was told to write for twenty minutes on an issue that was unrelated to their unpleasant memory.
- The second group was told to write about their unpleasant experience.
- The third group was also told to write about their unpleasant experience. However, they were told to focus on the positive aspects of the experience. That is, they were asked to discover what about the unpleasant experience made them grateful.
The results of the study showed that the third group demonstrated more closure and less unpleasant emotional impact than the other two groups. In other words, redeeming the unpleasant experience with gratitude made it less painful and upsetting.
In addition, the participants who found reasons to be grateful reported less intrusive memories, such as ruminating about why it happened or how it could have been prevented. Gratitude can help you to get over upsetting experiences, and it can help you to move on.
Improve Your Health by Giving Thanks. More than one thousand people, from ages eight to 80, and have found that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of health benefits. Here’s three of them:
- They have stronger immune systems.
- They’re less bothered by aches and pains
- They have lower blood pressure.
