Gratefulness makes us happy
"We all know quite a number of people who have everything that it would take to be happy, and they are not happy, because they want something else or they want more of the same. And we all know people who have lots of misfortune, misfortune that we ourselves would not want to have, and they are deeply happy. They radiate happiness. Why? Because they are grateful. So it is not happiness that makes us grateful. It's gratefulness that makes us happy."
- Brother David Steindl-Rast
Author, scholar, and Benedictine monk
Increase your happiness by 25%
Psychologist and author Robert Emmons tells us that practising gratitude can make you more successful, healthier and increase your happiness by up to 25 per cent. How does it work?
Improves Mental Health
Every time a person expresses or receives gratitude our brain releases “feel good” hormones that positively impact mood, willpower, and motivation.
Improves Physical Health
A 2018 study found that people who kept a thankful journal for two weeks reported better health, including fewer headaches, less stomach pain, clearer skin, and reduced congestion.
Less Stress, Live Longer
People who keep a thankful journal have 23% lower stress hormones like cortisol, and having a daily gratitude practice could actually reduce the effects of ageing to the brain.
Prevent Chronic Illness
There's a link between thankfulness and lower levels of the biomarker HbA1c. High levels of HbA1c have been associated with chronic kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes.
