Why Gratitude Improves Your Health

It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US, and our attention turns to who and what we’re grateful for in our lives. This simple act can have profound and measurable benefits mentally, emotionally, and physically.

When we intentionally recognize what’s going right, who elicits joy and love in our hearts, and all that’s around us that helps us in some way, shape, or form…our brain will continue to look for more proof to support that. It’s cognitive bias working in our favor. Since the human brain is constantly processing a ton of information, it creates shortcuts. We’re literally wired to prove our beliefs right. So, if we believe we’re lucky, our brain will select all the ways in which that is true to bring to the forefront of our mind.

Plus, it builds cognitive flexibility. Those who practice gratitude regularly are better able to bounce back from setbacks. Gratitude activates and strengthens neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, decision-making, and empathy.

In addition, gratitude shifts our attention away from worry and redirects it to what feels positive and stable. This reduces activity in the regions of our brain linked to stress (like the amygdala) and increases our feelings of safety. This improves our overall satisfaction with life, which reinforces a more optimistic worldview. That leads to improved mood and overall psychological well-being. (Starting to see the trickle-down effect, yet?)

When we shift our mindset, we shift our emotional response to life. Gratitude boosts joy, contentment, and love, which in turn trains our emotional baseline upward. When we express gratitude to loved ones it makes those people feel valued and deepens our emotional bond with them. Better relationships have been linked to longer and healthier lives.

The energetic frequency of gratitude has been measured at 540 Hz, which is the same frequency as Joy (and higher than Love at 500 Hz).  When we shift our frequency, we make our physical body stronger. Higher energetic vibes reduces inflammation, supports our immune system, lowers blood pressure, improves our heart health, reduces stress hormones and increases parasympathetic activity.

Studies have also shown that people who practice gratitude before bed fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. And because gratitude improves motivation and offers a sense of purpose, we tend to engage in healthier behaviors like exercise and balanced eating habits.

So, before you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal, it’s well worth taking an intentional pause to reflect on all that you’re grateful for in your life. It will give you that much more to be thankful for.