The Biological Impact of Gratitude
We’ve heard it from a young age. Many of us were taught the “magic words” before we could even read and write. We were instructed to say “thank you” before we even knew what we were really saying. How often has gratitude felt like more of a formality than a genuine gesture that has a biological impact?
According to the American Brain Foundation, studies have shown that gratitude can have a whole host of biological benefits. Gratitude has been linked to a decrease in cortisol, as well as a shift into the parasympathetic nervous system, which deescalates the body’s “fight or flight” response. Gratitude has also been connected to increased dopamine, improved focus, better sleep, and a stronger immune system. Gratitude helps the body naturally reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and can create opportunities for more social connection.
This sounds great in theory, but how do we practically incorporate gratitude into daily life, so that it becomes a regular practice? Start by adding it to engrained habits that are already a part of your day. For example, as you make your morning coffee, say ten things out loud that you are grateful for. Perhaps on your way to work, meditate on all the things you are grateful for, or things you are looking forward to. Try incorporating a time of family sharing around the dinner table, where each person shares both the hard and the good from the day. It can be difficult to form new habits, ones that actually stick. By picking a small and attainable goal and incorporating it into your day, gratitude can become embedded into your way of life.
Practicing gratitude is not pretending you live in Candy Land or pretending that the painful areas of life are not still painful. It’s not about dismissal, toxic positivity, or overlooking the hard. It is about recognizing the good in the midst of the hard and choosing to appreciate it.
The next time you feel a sense of dread while beginning a new day, validate what’s hard, but also recognize what is good, your body needs it.
Article Reference: https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/does-gratitude-rewire-your-brain/