The Science

Find links at the bottom of this page to studies about gratitude.

What Science Says About the Power of Gratitude

Gratitude is far more than just a fleeting pleasant feeling. In the past two decades, a growing body of scientific evidence has revealed that consistently practicing gratitude offers profound, measurable benefits for nearly every aspect of your life.

Boost Your Well-being & Happiness

Scientific studies show that regularly engaging in gratitude practices, like keeping a gratitude journal, can:

  • Significantly improve your mental health: Research indicates that even short, consistent gratitude writing exercises can lead to sustained improvements in overall mental well-being, lasting weeks or even months after the practice ends.
  • Increase life satisfaction and self-esteem: By intentionally noticing the good, you train your brain to focus on positivity, leading to greater contentment and a healthier self-perception.
  • Enhance optimism and positive emotion: Gratitude helps you strengthen your "positive recall bias," making it easier to see and appreciate the good things around you, even during challenging times.
  • Build resilience: Gratitude doesn't require ignoring negative emotions, but rather helps you magnify positive feelings and develop a broader perspective, making you more resilient in the face of adversity.

Nourish Your Body

The benefits of gratitude extend to your physical health:

  • Improve overall physical health: Grateful individuals often report fewer common health complaints, such as headaches, digestive issues, and respiratory infections.
  • Calm your nervous system: Gratitude practices can lead to a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in "vagal tone," which is a sign of a healthier, more relaxed nervous system. This "rest and digest" state helps conserve energy and promotes overall bodily calm.
  • Encourage healthier choices: Research suggests that expressing gratitude can motivate you to engage in healthier behaviors, including making more nutritious food choices and getting better quality sleep.

Strengthen Your Relationships

Gratitude acts as a "social glue," helping you build and nurture stronger connections:

  • Foster deeper connections: Gratitude helps you appreciate existing relationships and encourages you to invest in them, leading to stronger, more satisfying bonds with friends, loved ones, and community members.
  • Improve communication: By fostering more positive perceptions of others, gratitude can lead to greater trust and comfort in voicing concerns, paving the way for healthier and more open communication in all your relationships.
  • Inspire prosocial behavior: Expressing gratitude can motivate both you and others to "pay back" kindness, creating a positive cycle of generosity and mutual support.

By incorporating gratitude into your daily life with our gratitude sticker journal, you're not just writing; you're actively engaging in a scientifically proven path to a happier, healthier, and more connected you.

 

Resources

The Science of Gratitude, A white paper prepared for the John Templeton Foundation
by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley