The Gift of Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks is Beneficial

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As the holiday season peeks above the horizon, now is typically the time of year where many of us pause to evaluate the things in our lives for which we are grateful. Whether this step back is organic or forced upon us at the Thanksgiving table, it has been proven that there’s a positive psychological benefit to exhibiting thankfulness.

For starters, it has been found that an attitude of “thankfulness” reduces the risk of drug abuse, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and helps people adjust to traumatic events and their aftermath. More than 10 studies have found a positive relationship between gratitude and feelings of well-being.

Couldn’t it be argued that less depressed people are just more likely to be grateful, rather than the other way around? To prove the latter, scientists developed “intervention” programs that promote feelings of gratitude, then reviewed their effects. In 12 studies, a variety of interventions (ranging from thinking or writing about gratitude to verbally thanking someone) revealed that participants showed significant increases in positive emotion, decreases in negativity and less worry.

A University of Pennsylvania study randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups: one made phone calls to solicit alumni, the other received a pep talk that expressed to the fund-raisers the school was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard the message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those in the other group.

Consider implementing a daily ritual—not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year—where you take a few moments to think about, and express, your gratitude. Whether it’s for the pot of coffee your front desk staff made or for the work of a phenomenal massage therapist you’ve had in house for a decade, your appreciation really does make a difference.—Rachel Kossman

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