How Gratitude Heals
Gratitude is not our brain's go-to, in fact, it's quite the opposite.
Instead, our brains are created to look for the negative in order to protect us from danger.
So when your brain doesn't go naturally to gratitude and the positive things in your life, there is nothing wrong with you.
It's just your brain doing it's thing.
But studies have shown that gratitude is a valuable tool to increase our overall positive mental health.
In a study done at Berkeley University, they found that practicing gratitude by writing one gratitude letter a week for four weeks positively impacted mental health for up to 12 weeks.
Here are four other interesting benefits found from the study:
1. Gratitude unshackles us from negative emotions.
Expressing gratitude has a tendency to shift our thoughts from ones that create more difficult emotions to ones that create more positive emotions.
2. Gratitude helps even if you don't share it.
Participants didn't need to share their letters to whom they were written to experience the positive benefits.
Just the mere act of tapping into gratitude helped in impact their positive mental health.
3. The benefits of gratitude take time.
One gratitude letter didn't seem to create a difference, but after four weeks of gratitude letters, the participants reported the increase.
So don't be discouraged if you don't see an immediate change when you implement a gratitude practice.
It will come with consistent gratitude.
4. Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain.
A follow-up study three months later suggested 'that practicing gratitude may help train the brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude down the line, and this could contribute to improved mental health over time.'
So, here's a challenge for you:
Give this a shot for the next four weeks.
Write one letter a week to someone in your life expressing your gratitude for them.
And send it, or not.
This is a great opportunity to change the trajectory of your life in a positive way.
I'd be super interested in hearing about the change this creates for you, so feel free to reach out and let me know how it's going.
Want to learn more about gratitude?
Check out this podcast:
