The Positive Effects Gratitude Can Have on Your Brain
published June 26, 2023
by Mia Barnes
You’ve heard that practicing gratitude is good for you, but did you know there's science behind how it can transform your life? Thankfulness helps change your world and opens you up to new opportunities you hadn't considered. Regular practice can also improve the state of your body and mind.
How Gratitude Lights Up Your Brain
Regular gratitude can trigger the same feelings as a reward in the hypothalamus, leading to short-term happiness and the pick-me-up everyone needs. A boosted mood can lead to improved relationships and a better quality of life. You may notice your child getting better grades and you could experience greater job satisfaction.
Even small acts of gratitude can make a difference. Whether you send it or not, writing a letter of appreciation might have a lasting effect on your brain. A study showed that for up to three months after writing gratitude letters, people showed greater medial prefrontal cortex activity, which links to attention, memory and habit formation.
Have you ever needed to slow down and breathe? Gratitude is a great way to let go of your stress and focus on the present moment. Feeling grateful can reduce negative feelings — like envy — as it is less likely someone will feel envious while expressing gratitude. Grateful people have almost 25% lower cortisol levels, which influences and regulates stress. For some, regularly practicing gratitude might have the same effect on their brains as going to the spa.
Gratitude’s Effects: More Than Just Mood
Gratitude’s influences on the brain can influence other areas of your life, regardless of age. For example, gratitude directly increases prosocial behavior, which can help you bond with others and increase your self-esteem.
Self-esteem falls under the locus of control, which relates to how the areas of the brain connect. When you increase your self-esteem, your brain is overall healthier for it. Being grateful also strengthens connections, improving social health and providing more opportunities for individuals to leave home when they would otherwise isolate themselves.
Impact on Mental Health
Though more research is necessary, it's commonly thought that gratitude can decrease suicidal thoughts and attempts in adults compared to those who don't practice it. Damaging thoughts can make it harder to get through the day, but thankfulness may make it more manageable. Considering that about 10% of Americans have depression, practicing gratitude regularly may save lives.
Focusing on gratitude has even been shown to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents. Since brains look different for people at risk for suicide, this fact means gratitude directly influences how the brain works, and can potentially reframe or activate some areas of the brain that may have been dysfunctional.
Impact on Physical Health
Regular gratitude practice can also decrease inflammation. Perhaps the most exciting finding is that this decrease in inflammation can link to a slower neurodegeneration process, a currently incurable disease. Routinely staying grateful can also increase your neuroplasticity, which can help you do anything from adapting to new situations to learning a new language with little effort.
In some cases, gratitude affects how well a person sleeps and might improve physical functions, like blood pressure and eating behaviors. Sleeping can ease stress, but so can thankfulness. The hypothalamus — which can activate due to gratitude — regulates sleeping and metabolic patterns, and may ease tension.
Gratitude Is Good for Overall Health
Practicing gratitude can influence every sphere of your life, but it's exceptionally beneficial for your body and brain. Being thankful for the things and opportunities you have can help you feel happier. You may also notice physical and mental benefits, like an overall improved outlook on life or better sleep quality. Whatever you're looking for, it's crucial to practice gratitude daily to make the best life out of what you have.
About the Author
Mia Barnes is a writer specializing in mental health and wellness. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind Magazine and has also written about gaining clarity through mindfulness and meditation for The Mindful Word. She is a frequent contributor to Mindful Teachers.
Related Posts
There are many more resources here at MindfulTeachers.org on practicing and teaching gratitude, including the following posts: