Using a gratitude practice in your everyday life can be a game-changer. Experts say that it can help garner some major physical and mental health benefits, as well as improve the quality of the existing relationships in your life. We typically express gratitude by simply saying “thank you” but a gratitude practice is when you recognize the positive things in your life and how they affect you. This can be as simple as acknowledging how beautiful the day is or thanking your body for safely carrying you throughout your week.
According to Dr. Robert Emmons, a psychology professor and gratitude researcher at the University of California, there are two different stages of gratitude. The first stage is affirming the good things we receive by taking stock in whatever it is that makes life worth living. The second stage is recognizing that these things that add goodness to our life can often lie outside of ourselves. It’s about acknowledging the role that people or things play in making us feel that our lives are good.
What are the benefits of using a gratitude practice?
Research has shown that there are some notable advantages to actively practicing gratitude. When you experience the feeling of gratitude, your brain releases a combination of hormones including dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of happiness, oxytocin helps us reduce stress, and endorphins can boost happiness and help to relieve pain.
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