Over the last year or two gratitude has become a bit of a buzz word. Gratitude journals have appeared on the market and the psychological and physical benefits of practising gratitude have been measured by universities including Yale.

Robert Emmons from the University of California cites a study where a wide range of children, teenagers and adults between the ages of eight to 80 were asked to write down a few things they were grateful for each day.  The study found that all the people in the study benefited psychologically which was great news, as Robert Emmons explained, because gratitude (unlike exercise) is something everyone can participate in on a regular basis.

What actually is gratitude?

Laurie Santos, professor of psychology at Yale University, describes gratitude as a positive state where you recognise and appreciate what you have and who you are thankful to.  This sense of gratitude and thankfulness extends to something or someone outside yourself.  This appreciation may take the form of thanks when you are grateful to another person for their love or help.  Alternatively it may take the form of a sense of good fortune or pleasure when you enjoy an experience such as a beautiful view, gripping book or favourite meal.

What are the benefits to feeling more grateful? 

Emmons quotes studies that have found that there are physical, emotional and social benefits to gratitude.  Grateful individuals are more resilient, feel less lonely, achieve more, feel more confident, exercise more and are more optimistic and creative generally.  It has even been found that individuals who consciously practice gratitude sleep better, enjoy better heart health, recover better from illness or stress and are even better able to cope with aches and pains.

A 2015 study also showed that gratitude has a positive effect on relationships.  Spousal  gratitude was found to guard against complacency.  In other words recognising and being thankful for the good qualities a partner has (and most importantly telling them) is an antidote to taking them for granted.  This works in all relationships.  A further 2015 study noted that the act of thanking someone (in person or in a letter) about the positive impact they have had on your life actually sustains your happiness for a whole month afterwards, and of course it makes the other person feel good too. 

Looking for reasons to be grateful is not just important in relationships but in situations such as jobs.  This doesn’t mean not aspiring for a promotion but at looking at and being grateful for the positives in a situation rather than the negatives.  It means appreciating co-workers. It has also been found that people work more effectively and happily if their boss expresses their gratitude for their efforts.

How can you practice gratitude? 

Many people may feel on reading this that they are not naturally optimistic or that the stress in their life clouds everything.  When experiencing a difficult time it is natural to feel this way.  However gratitude can be expressed for small things; a beautiful sunset, watching the birds in a garden, enjoying a good cup of coffee, an unexpected conversation with a friend, a sense of satisfaction on completing a crossword, watching a favourite TV programme or staying up late to read a gripping book.  While you are thinking about gratitude your brain can not also be worrying about problems and this will help to lift your mood. 

Writing down three things each night that you are grateful for is a good way to get into a habit around gratitude practice.  This does not even have to be every day, although practising each day is a good way to make this a habit that sticks.  Lyubormirsky et al’s study in 2005 found that people who recorded their gratitude once a week had significantly higher happiness levels after six weeks. 

A further powerful repercussion of getting into a habit of writing down what you are grateful for is that you can take notice of what has made you happy over the last few weeks and build it further into your life going forward.  Walking with a particular friend has been a recurring highlight? Maybe you can schedule this twice a week rather than once.  Taking a lazy bath in the afternoon really gave you a sense of calm and self care?  Try that again. 

Other people find that discussing what they have been grateful for that day around the dinner table works for them and this is a good way of helping children or other family members look for positives in their life. 

Another good way of feeling gratitude is to focus on the moment and be mindful in every day actions.  For instance this could be savouring the first cup of tea of the day; choosing the mug you like best, enjoying the warmth as you hold it in your hands, watching the steam rise and enjoying the taste.  Using all of your senses to notice such moments is a good way of heightening enjoyment. 

Making gratitude part of your life

Think about what would work best for you, whether this is writing down daily or weekly what you are grateful for, making a commitment with your family to discuss what you’re grateful for around the dinner table or savouring simple or special moments.  Try to commit to your new practice. 

This may not come naturally to you at first.  After all the first concern of our brains is to keep us safe and away from dangers so we are primed to look out for negatives rather than positives. However, as with every new skill, the more you practice the easier it will get and with the multitude of benefits it brings it is a skill worth developing. 

Further reading:

‘Thanks- how the new science of gratitude can make you happier’ Robert Emmons

Future Learn, the free online learning resource provided by universities across the world currently offer a free 2 hour course entitled ‘Practising Gratitude Teach-Out.’ See www.futurelearn.com for more details