The Healthy Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is more than saying thank you–it’s a powerful habit that can improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. Regularly focusing on and appreciating positive areas of your life changes your perspective, reduces stress, and has life-changing effects on your body and mind. As a transformational nutrition coach, it’s one of my favorite practices to recommend. Literally nothing but good comes from practicing gratitude!
A gratitude practice is a science-backed method for improving your overall well-being. It shifts your focus to the positives in your life, which helps develop feelings of abundance and happiness.
Here are some of the amazing benefits of gratitude.
Stress Reduction
Stress causes a fight-or-flight response in your parasympathetic nervous system that raises blood pressure, makes your heart beat faster, and triggers surges in cortisol and adrenaline. Expressing gratitude helps calm the nervous system and lowers blood pressure, heart rate and breathing so that you can relax and feel calm.
Improved Anxiety
Anxiety is often caused by worry and negative thinking about the past and future. Gratitude is a great coping tool because it breaks negative thinking patterns by keeping thoughts focused on the present. If you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts, stop and think about something in your life that you are grateful for. Make a list of everything you appreciate, read it aloud, and really feel the gratitude. This will break the negative thought process and bring you back to the present.
Better Heart Health
Research shows that a grateful mindset positively affects biomarkers associated with the risk of heart disease. Gratitude benefits cardiovascular health by helping to lower blood pressure and regulate breathing.
Boosted Immunity
Gratitude is linked to improved immunity. People who practice gratitude regularly tend to experience fewer illnesses and recover more quickly. This is associated with the boosted mood, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being.
Increased Sleep Quality
Research by the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that feeling grateful can help people fall asleep faster and experience deeper, more restorative sleep. By focusing on positive thoughts before going to bed, you’ll reduce anxiety and worry, leading to more restful sleep.
A Better Mood
Gratitude is a natural mood booster and may reduce depression symptoms. People with a grateful mindset report higher satisfaction with life, better relationships, and higher self-esteem than those who don’t practice gratitude. Positive thoughts increase production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters responsible for happiness and pleasure. This boost in mood leads to a more positive outlook on life and improves overall well-being.
Gratitude is a powerful tool that benefits your mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being. An attitude of gratitude will transform your life so that you can experience greater happiness, health, and fulfillment. If you’re interested in finding new ways to boost your mindset, consider working with a transformational nutrition coach like me!
