Be Thankful for the Good Things: It Makes You Happier and Healthier

My Thanksgiving message was about the silver lining that I see in the recent financial troubles, that this is a time when being greedy and selfish is definitely not cool, whether you are a college student or CEO.  That message reminded me that there is an interesting stream of research on gratitude in recent years.  I know, it may sound flaky and new age, but this stuff is based on careful studies by skilled researchers, many of which are controlled experiments with random assignment to conditions. Two of the most active researchers here are Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, who edited a collection called The Psychology of Gratitude.  Emmons also published Thanks more recently, a practical guide, which was just published in paperback.

The upshot of many of these studies is, regardless of your personality, you can become a healthier and happier person by simply devoting more time and energy to thinking about the good things in your life, the little things for which you are grateful.  For example, A series of intertwined experiments by Emmons and McCullough examined “gratitude journals,” where research subjects wrote down at least five things each day for which they were grateful.  This modest intervention had measurable effects. Emmons and McCullough found that people who kept such journals enjoyed superior physical and mental health.  Not only were they happier than people who weren’t keeping gratitude journals, they reported fewer physical health problems (e.g., stomach aches, headaches, sore throats, skin problems), and sleeping more hours and waking up more refreshed in the morning.  And their spouses or significant others reported that they were more upbeat, energized, and satisfied with their lives.

What do you think?  Am I being too mushy, or are the times ripe for gratitude and perhaps a little self-reflection?

 The citation for this study is: Emmons, R.A., & McCullough, M.E. (2003).  Counting blessings versus burdens: Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389

P.S. Check out John Lilly's related post, If This Isn't Nice, What Is?

Comments

[Colin Ude-Lewis]

I resisted buying The No Asshole Rule for some time because of cringing at the title, but I caved in and have to say it hits the spot - I am an Executive Coach and advise all my clients to buy a copy - when they don't I buy one for them....

With respect to BS Bingo here is a great link to Plain English on Management Speak and another to the BS game

http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/mgmtspeak.htm

http://lurkertech.com/buzzword-bingo/

[Sam Thornton]

We could pass a law:

"All those who are not happy and content will be beaten until they are."

Divine discontent, anyone?

[Rui]

Thanks for the post.I'm going to prepare a gratitude journal, hope it helps. Go!

[Matthew Mahoney]

The post is great, as are the comments. There's a propagation-of-good thread here that I'm thrilled to see receiving more fact-based research -- the Emmons & McCullough work, the Christakis & Fowler work, Chip & Dan Heath's work -- are all related to communicability. Reminds me of the Salk/Munnecke epidemic of health thinking (http://bit.ly/VALf). I'm grateful there's illuminating work being done and shared. Thanks for making the post.

[Bobsutton]

Wally,

I am very impressed with your mother!

Bob

[Wally Bock]

Thankfulness is important. Among other things, it helps you stay balanced in a world that exalts the quest for "things." One of the easiest ways to show gratitude is to send thank-you notes. I try match my mother's performance of at least three a day. Once I asked her what she did if there was no one to thank. She gave me her "mom-look" and said, "Wally, there's ALWAYS someone to thank." As in many other things, she was right about that. The big advantage of saying thank-you is that you share the good feeling.

[Mike]

Agree that regular gratitude is essential to good living and better relationships of all kinds. If you take the time to find 5 good things each day, you'll find yourself looking for the good in people. This will enhance your appreciation of them - and they will usually respond in kind.

[Katie]

Not mushy at all. I tend to always find the happiest people I know have been through life's greatest hardships. Good old perspective. Remember what Anaïs Nin said, "We see the world as we are."

[Kelley Eskridge]

Not too mushy at all. Gratitude is so important -- recognizing that the world brings us beauty and truth and joy even when our own lives are in turmoil.

Are you familiar with the reticular activating system? (http://graciousliving.typepad.com/the_write_event/2007/08/the-reticular-a.html) It's an important part of the brain system that tells us what to pay attention to. Once we let an idea, a thing, a person, etc. into our conscious awareness, we tend to notice that thing more often whenever it occurs around us.

So imagine if we practiced gratitude... maybe we'd start finding so much more to be grateful about every day.

And maybe it would spread to others. Here's an article about the social contagion of happiness (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28058552/).

Thanks, Bob, great post.

[Allison O'Neill]

no way its not too mushy - life would be way sweeter if we all did this - the world would be a totally different place. Tony Robbins speaks lots about daily gratitude. it changes your life! its a very important mindset