10 Proven Benefits of Gratitude

In positive psychology research, proven benefits of gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experience, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationship.

The past year was surreal. Almost everyone went through huge changes ever since the pandemic happened. It may seem like a film, and there are still some of us who still can’t wrap our heads around the whole situation. And yet, despite everything, we still see amazing people who post about expressing gratitude – from the seemingly little things such as fine weather to the major ones like keeping a job.
If you feel a bit weary due to what’s been happening, mentally strong people will just tell you to find something to be thankful about. And they’re actually right – gratitude is linked to happiness, and this has been mentioned a lot of times in Positive Psychology programs and studies.

According to the study by University of California, Davis’ researcher Dr. Robert A. Emmons and University of Miami’s Dr. Michael E. McCullough, those who show gratitude regularly are reported to express greater satisfaction in life and are less likely to have issues with stress and depression.

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhurry, a Psychiatric Counselor, said “Thanking others, thanking ourselves, Mother Nature, or the Almighty—gratitude in any form can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier. It has a healing effect on us.”

Gratitude Defined

Emmons and his co-author stated that “gratitude has a dual meaning: a worldly one and a transcendent one. In its worldly sense, gratitude is a feeling that occurs in interpersonal exchanges when one person acknowledges receiving a valuable benefit from another. Gratitude is a cognitive-affective state that is typically associated with the perception that one has received a personal benefit that was not intentionally sought after, deserved, or earned but rather because of the good intentions of another person” (Emmons & Stern, 2013).

In a nutshell, gratitude is about having to realize the things that made a positive impact in your life. From good relationships to good health and even simple things such as finding a spare coin in your jeans during laundry day or witnessing a breathtaking sunset. If one should just take a moment to appreciate this, you will start to enjoy the many effects and benefits of gratitude, and you don’t even need a Positive Psychology certificate to internalize the many good things you’ll get out of by being grateful.

Gratitude Benefits

It may come off as a surprise, but as more and more individuals delve into Positive Psychology coaching, we realize how gratitude is significant in happiness studies. Here are just some of the few proven benefits of gratitude:

Better Sleep

In Emmons and McCullough’s study on gratitude and well-being, people with neuromuscular disorders were asked to create a gratitude list – things that they are grateful about. These participants were reported to have longer and quality sleep after three weeks of diligently writing down what they’re thankful about.

Another study, this time conducted at the University of Manchester, had 400 adults (40 percent have sleep disorders) answer surveys about pre-sleep thoughts, sleep, and gratitude. The results state that gratitude is related to fewer negative thoughts during bedtime thus sleeping quicker, longer, and better.

Better Self-Control

According to Professor Ye Li in a study in 2014, “Showing that emotion can foster self-control and discovering a way to reduce impatience with a simple gratitude exercise opens up tremendous possibilities for reducing a wide range of societal ills from impulse buying and insufficient saving to obesity and smoking.” The results of the study mentioned that when subjects chose gratitude over happiness, their self-control has significantly increased.

Motivates You to Exercise More

Need some motivation to follow a workout plan? Why not practice gratitude more often? Though it won’t be the fastest way to lose all those extra pounds, in Emmons & McCullough’s study, they found out that those who showed gratitude consistently for 11 weeks tend to exercise more than those who didn’t.

Better Physical Health
In a 2012 study, people who practiced gratitude more often tend to have fewer pains and aches and they feel healthier compared to others. Well, as mentioned above, grateful people are motivated to exercise and are more conscious of taking care of their health.

Enhances Empathy
In a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky, a gratitude intervention significantly enhanced the participants’ empathy and sensitivity towards others even when they were given negative feedback. It also showed that they are less likely to seek revenge.

Improves Decision-Making
You may be in a job that requires you to make quick decisions, but we have to admit, having this kind of role would sometimes have us end up getting more stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out. But do you know that gratitude and better decision-making skills are linked?
In a 2014 study by DeSteno, Li, Dickens, & Lerner, it was stated that those who practiced gratitude are less impatient during decision-making which leads to well-thought-of decisions that would then result in positive work outcomes.

Less Stress at Work
Gratitude is also said to help reduce stress in the workplace. Researchers Cheng, Tsui, and Lam in 2015 found out that participants who were placed in the gratitude group reported lesser depressive and stress symptoms compared to those in the control group. Practicing gratitude at work especially in the most stressful roles will help alleviate depressive moods.

Increases Kindness
Another amazing trait that is linked to gratitude is kindness. In a 2010 study by DeSteno, Bartlett, Baumann, Williams, & Dickens, research shows that when participants were asked to practice gratitude, they have the tendency to share more, stranger or not.

Increases Psychological Well-Being
Gratitude, according to researcher Chih-Che Lin in 2017, significantly impacts self-esteem and psychological well-being. Emmons also confirmed in his study that being grateful will naturally steer us away from becoming depressed.

Strengthen Relationships in Families
Teenage children are said to be able to deal better when being faced with difficult situations if their attitudes tend to see the good or positives in their lives. The ability to be grateful helps children less likely to develop depression and anxiety, according to a study by Stoeckel, Weissbrod, & Ahrens, 2015.

Believe it or not, there are many more benefits that we can get if we cultivate gratitude in our daily lives such as building and enhancing friendships, deepening romantic relationships, reducing envy and materialism, and more. Now, it’s up to us to start making being grateful a habit and pass this little secret to happiness to the world.

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgement. Although people often focus on word or phrase, it is also possible to focus on what proven benefits of gratitude for.