Gratitude is commonly attributed to basic manners and saying things like “please and thank you”. But it is actually much deeper than that. There are scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. These benefits aim at improving your relationships, mental health, physical health, and self-esteem. Many therapists, doctors, and religious/spiritual practices emphasize practicing gratitude and it attracts good things in your life and overall makes you a better person.
Showing gratitude makes you more approachable and people will want to develop romantic, platonic, or professional relationships with you. When someone does something nice for you they like to be acknowledged. This does not mean that they only did this nice thing for validation (although sometimes that may be the case) but rather they saw you as someone worthy of doing something nice for.
We are more motivated to help out others who have helped us. As the saying goes, “one hand washes another”. Showing gratitude shows that you are observant and acknowledge the nice thing the person did, which makes them feel appreciated and want to continue doing nice things. This builds the stepping stones for a possible relationship with this person whether it be romantic, platonic or professional. It opens the possibility of you both getting to know each other.
Gratitude makes you take time to think about meaningful aspects and interactions in your life. This reduces aggression, envy, and depression. In turn this increases happiness. The more you practice gratitude the more you will be able to view life in a prosocial manner and not let other peoples’ negativity affect you as much because you know that you are bringing positivity. This gives you the opportunity to think about how to react in certain situations and if retaliation is really worth it. Gratitude has long term effects on those who have dealt with trauma. If you can find things to be grateful for even after experiencing trauma then that builds mental strength and resilience.
Daily gratitude practices such as writing in your journal before bed or counting your blessings are simple ways to improve your physical health through gratitude. By practicing gratitude you are allowing your mind to fall asleep peaceful, making you well rested. Gratitude also is known to boost your immunity, and decrease risk of stress induced diseases. By dedicating even 5 minutes of your day to gratitude it will help you live a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Those who practice gratitude are known to have a healthy amount of self-esteem. When acknowledging other people’s good deeds towards you, it makes you realize your value in their life and that you are worth people doing nice things for you. This may influence you to be less judgmental towards yourself and less likely to compare yourself to others. Instead you will find yourself being more inspired by others. Gratitude is an easy way to build your self-esteem and it can help prevent depression and anxiety.
Gratitude is ironically something that is often overlooked. People should make time in their day to think about what they are grateful for and to make sure that people around them are feeling appreciated. This will strengthen relationships, improve mental and physical health, and help build self-esteem.