Gratitude is greater than bitterness. Thankfulness is better than resentment.
Colossians 3:15 says:
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with
each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own
thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the
run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one
another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let
every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the
Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
A heart of
thankfulness positively affects one’s entire being. Some scientific studies confirm this.
Here are some of them.
From “Giving
Thanks Can Make You Happier” (Harvard Medical School)
- “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
- Dr. Martin Seligman (University of Pennsylvania) says most studies on showing gratitude to others support an association between gratitude and an individual’s well-being.
- Gratitude can improve relationships. “For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.”
- Gratitude is associated with emotional maturity.
- “Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.”
Here are some ways to
cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
·
Write a thank-you
note.
·
Thank someone
mentally. (“It may help just to think about someone who has done
something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.”)
·
Keep a gratitude
journal.
I make lists of things I am thankful for and carry them with me.
·
Count your blessings.
·
Pray. “People who are
religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.”
From “7
Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude that Will Motivate You to Give Thanks
Year-Round” (Forbes)
Research reveals that gratitude can have
these benefits.
- · Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
- · Gratitude improves physical health. “Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences.”
- · Gratitude improves psychological health. “Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.”
- · Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. “Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky. Study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.”
- · Grateful people sleep better. “Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer."
- · Gratitude improves self-esteem.(Acc. to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.)
- · Gratitude increases mental strength. (Acc. to a 2006 study in Behavior Research and Therapy, and a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and social Psychology.
From “Giving
Thanks: The Benefits of Gratitude” (Psychology Today)
·
Psychologists Robert Emmons
and Michael McCullough “point out the benefits of
expressing gratitude as ranging from better physical health to improved mental
alertness. People who express gratitude also are more likely to offer emotional
support to others.”
·
“Expressing gratitude in your
daily life might even have a protective effect on staving off certain forms of
psychological disorders. In a review article published this past March (see
below), researchers found that habitually focusing on and appreciating the
positive aspects of life is related to a generally higher level of
psychological well-being and a lower risk of certain forms of psychopathology.”
·
Increase your gratitude-ability
by looking for small things to be thankful for.
From “Expanding the Science
and Practice of Gratitude” (University of Berkeley)
·
It’s easy to take gratitude for granted. “That might be why so
many people have dismissed gratitude as simple, obvious, and unworthy of
serious attention. But that’s starting to change. Recently scientists have
begun to chart a course of research aimed at understanding gratitude and the
circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes.”
·
Recent
studies on people who practice thankfulness consistently report a number of benefits:
·
Stronger immune systems and lower
blood pressure;
·
Higher levels of positive emotions;
·
More joy, optimism, and happiness;
·
Acting with more generosity and
compassion;
·
Feeling less lonely and isolated.
From “Thanksgiving,
Gratitude, and Mental Health” (Psychiatry Advisor)
Gratitude can have a positive effect on
a person’s emotions in four significant ways.
·
First, gratitude magnifies
positive emotions by helping us to appreciate the value in something; thus
gaining more benefit from it.
·
Second, it blocks toxic,
negative emotions, such as envy, resentment, and regret - emotions that can destroy happiness.
·
Third, gratitude fosters
resiliency.
·
And lastly, gratitude
promotes self worth.
From “5
Proven Health Benefits of Gratitude” (Shape)
·
- Gratitude is good for your heart. “According to a recent study at the University of California, San Diego, being mindful of the things you're thankful for each day actually lowers inflammation in the heart and improves rhythm. Researchers looked at a group of adults with existing heart issues and had some keep a gratitude journal. After just two months, they found that the grateful group actually showed improved heart health.”
- · You’ll smarten up. “Teens who actively practiced an attitude of gratitude had higher GPAs than their ungrateful counterparts, says research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.”
- · It’s good for your relationships. “Expressing gratitude instead of frustration will do more than just smooth things over—it will actually help your emotional health. Expressing and attitude of gratitude raises levels of empathy and abolishes any desire to get even, found researchers at the University of Kentucky.”
- · You’ll sleep more soundly. “ Writing in a gratitude journal before turning in will help you get a longer, deeper night's sleep, says a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.”
See also:
- “Thank You. No, Thank You.” (Wall Street Journal)
- “10 Ways to Become More Grateful.” (U. of Berkeley)
- Take the University of Cal-Berkeley’s “Gratitude Quiz.”