The health benefits of developing an attitude of gratitude

https://reflectionsfromaredhead.com/attitude-of-gratitude/

Aside from making you feel good, did you know that expressing gratitude can also improve your health?

Professor Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California and one of the foremost authorities on the topic of gratitude in North America, indicates that gratitude is not merely a positive emotion; it also improves your health if cultivated.

As a result, Emmons has found that people who cultivate an attitude of gratitude consistently experienced significant improvements in their life including:

Physical

• A stronger immune systems
• Lower blood pressure
• Sleeping better and longer, awaking feeling rested

Psychological

• Higher levels of positive emotions
• Feeling more alert

Social

• Being more helpful, generous and compassionate
• Feeling less lonely and isolated.

New research is also starting to explore how gratitude works to improve our mental health, showing that gratitude can even have lasting effects on the brain. It appears that practicing gratitude on top of receiving psychological counselling carries greater benefits than counseling alone, even when that gratitude practice is brief.