Gratitude

Keeping a gratitude journal seems to be one of the latest self-help fads doing the rounds.  Is this just another trendy self-improvement activity?  Apart from a “feel-good” experience, is there any scientific proof of the value of keeping such a journal, and what would the value be?

What is gratitude?

A simple definition of gratitude is the recognition of all the positive things in your life, which makes your life better.  Many things can spur feelings of gratitude, provided you have the right frame of mind to notice and acknowledge them, while recognizing that something good happened to you and that someone – or something, such as nature or a divine entity, was responsible for it.

The origin of the word gratitude is the Latin word “gratia”, which means gratefulness, grace, and graciousness, all depending on the context in which the word is used.  Gratitude can be compared to thankful appreciation for whatever tangible or intangible thing the individual receives, helping people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals, such as other people, nature, or a higher power.

Is expressing gratitude backed up by science?

A researcher with a broad range of experience in psychology, Martin Seligman, grew frustrated with psychology’s narrow focus on the negative, such as mental illness, trauma, suffering and pain, as well as abnormal psychology.  When elected president of the American Psychology Association in 1998, he proposed a new subfield of psychology that would focus on what is life-giving rather than what is life-depleting.  With him as co-author, the foundational paper of this new field called “positive psychology” was published in the year 2000 and since then numerous studies on positive phenomena in this subfield of psychology have followed.

In a nutshell, positive psychology has been defined as the scientific study of what makes life most worth living.  It focusses on positive events and influences in life, such as positive experiences (happiness, joy, inspiration, love), positive states and traits (gratitude, resilience, compassion), and positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire organizations and institutions).  

As with everything else in life, balance is important.  Positive psychology does not replace traditional psychology with its negative bias, but compliments it with a positive bias.

The greatest benefit of positive psychology is the way it shows us how to harness the power of shifting one’s perspective, to optimize the potential for happiness and to improve our quality of life.

Apart from being part of positive psychology, gratitude has another scientific base, namely the release of dopamine in the brain, when you express or receive gratitude.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter released in the brain, referred to as the “feel-good hormone”, which gives a sense of pleasure and helps one to stay happy, motivated, and focused.  The more often gratitude is practiced, the more often dopamine is released, as it is tied to the brain’s reward system.

Oxytocin is released at nerve terminals elsewhere in the brain as a neurotransmitter, in response to social interaction and stressors.  Oxytocin appears to play a role in establishing and maintaining social bonds, both in adulthood and during formative periods of early life.  Oxytocin inhibits fear responses in the amygdala, and this reduction in fear and anxiety promotes pro-social behaviour and interactions, such as social recognition, affiliation, bonding, and trust. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the “love hormone”, as amounts in the blood rises during romantic hugging and orgasm. 

How to cultivate gratitude:

Expressing gratitude regularly by creating habits of gratitude is among the most important things you can do to increase health and happiness.  Habits of gratitude is a way to appreciate what you have instead of always reaching for something new or trying to meet every physical and material need, hoping that it will make you happier and more satisfied.

Some of the ways in which to cultivate gratitude:

• Keeping a gratitude journal or gratitude list – counting your blessings can be as simple as listing one or two things that you are grateful for each day and reflect on it.  Another way is to create a gratitude map, which is a visual mood board that you can display as a reminder of everything you are grateful for.  The notes app on your cellphone is another easy way to record grateful thoughts as you have them.
• Praying and meditation – for religious people, praying can be a great way to practice gratitude.  People who are not especially religious can still express gratitude to a higher power or the universe for things like a functioning body or the beaty of nature around you.  Meditation is a good technique to practice gratitude and to meditate on the things you are grateful for.
• Enjoying nature – being in nature promotes gratitude by appreciating the beauty surrounding you.
• Volunteering – it is so easy to get absorbed in our own immediate lives, with the tendency to magnify and distort our own issues.  Helping others and lending a hand to someone less fortunate put things in perspective and increases the “feel-good” factor and gratitude for what you have and what you can offer others.  Oxytocin also comes into effect here
• The “three good things” method – setting aside 10 minutes or so at bedtime to write down three things that went well that day and also why they went well.  Studies have shown that this method can improve depression and overall happiness.
• Write a thank you note – expressing your appreciation of that person’s impact on your life.  Do this at least once a month to help making yourself happier and nurturing your relationship with another person.

Conclusions:

Practicing gratitude can be one of the best things to do for your health and wellness and may even improve the quality of the people around you.  Being habitually grateful, happy, and optimistic, will attract like-minded people.  

Gratitude is an amazing power for good, with no downsides.  Whatever your level of gratitude, it is a quality that can successfully be cultivated further.  Habits of gratitude creates a scientifically proven mental state, growing stronger with use and practice.

References:

The amazing power of gratitude.  11 October 2022.  Email from Dr Mark Hyman.  (www.longevityfilm.com)

Gratitude interventions: Effective self-help?  A meta-analysis of the impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety.  Research paper published 22 February 2020.  Journal of Happiness Studies, 22,413-445 (2021).  (www.springer.com)

Improving mental health in health care practitioners: Randomized controlled trial of a gratitude intervention. Published 2015 in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83(1), 177-186.  (www.psycnet.apa.org)

Gratitude and happiness: Development of a measurement of gratitude, and relationships with subjective well-being.  Published 2003 in the international journal: Behavior and Personality.  Volume 31, Number 5, 2003, pp. 441-451.  (www.ingentaconnect.com)

Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review.  Published 11 November 2021.  Journal of Occupational Health, 2021, Jan-Dec; (63(1).  (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: A randomized clinical trial.  Published 21 March 2019.   Frontiers in Psychology.  (www.frontiersin.org)

The impact of a gratitude intervention on mental well-being during COVID-19: A quasi-experimental study of university students.  Published 5 April 2022 in the journal: Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being.  International Association of Applied Psychology.  www.iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

Giving thanks can make you happier.  Published 14 August 2021.  Harvard Medical School.  (www.health.harvard.edu)

What is positive psychology & why is it important?  Published 20 April 2018.  Positive Psychology.  (www.positivepsychology.com)

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