Studies have shown that gratitude reduces anxiety (depression, too) in part by optimizing the functioning of the autonomic nervous system as well as those same neurotransmitters involved in anxiety. The brain can't respond to anxiety and gratitude at the same time, which means it's one or the other.
Additionally, gratitude can lower blood pressure, facilitate more efficient sleep, and improve immune function in the body. Gratitude can also help to minimize and mitigate other symptoms associated with anxiety. Gratitude helps to reduce stress hormones in the body.
Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms.
Research has proven that you can't be stressed and grateful at the same time. Let me say that again, YOU CAN'T BE STRESSED AND GRATEFUL AT THE SAME TIME! That means my friends, that being grateful may be the cheapest and easiest way to move forward from burnout.
Taking the time to feel gratitude may improve your emotional well-being by helping you cope with stress. Early research suggests that a daily practice of gratitude could affect the body, too. For example, one study found that gratitude was linked to fewer signs of heart disease.
But I think it's valuable to say here that sometimes gratitude can overwhelm us and make us feel sad. Sometimes we are left asking are we grateful enough? Isn't being alive and being sober enough? Isn't being able to pay the mortgage enough?
Psychologists find that, over time, feeling grateful boosts happiness and fosters both physical and psychological health, even among those already struggling with mental health problems.
Practicing gratitude and positive thinking on a daily basis throughout the year can change your brain and your life! The same area of the brain that controls emotions and behavior also controls higher-order thinking skills like focus and attention.
When we express gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin — two hormones that make us feel lighter and happier inside.
Gratitude Can Help You Feel More Connected to Others
“Gratitude may help people feel more connected to others and the world around them, which can lead to increased happiness and decreased loneliness,” says Dr. Brandon.
But for more everyday anxieties, new research suggests a simple, feel-good way to soothe your worries and improve your mood -- perform a few random acts of kindness.
An anxious brain is a strong, healthy brain that is a little overprotective. It is more likely to sense threat and hit the panic button 'just in case'. One of the awful things about anxiety is the way it launches without warning, and often without need, sending an unsuspecting body unnecessarily into fight or flight.
Your emotions and feelings are complex. Rarely do you ever feel one single thing at any given moment? It's important to understand that you can experience feelings of sadness, anger, and grief alongside gratitude.
“Interrupt anxiety with gratitude” is one of my favorite quotes because it is a powerful reminder that when we are feeling our feelings, we can interrupt them. It doesn't solve the underlying cause of the feeling, but it can get us calm in our bodies to face it.
Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation. The American Psychological Association (n.d.) more specifically defines this phenomenon as a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift. Gratitude is both a state and a trait (Jans-Beken et al., 2020).
Expressing gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease. If a pill that could do this, everyone would be taking it.
Brain Chemicals
—When gratitude is expressed and/or received, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions. Dopamine and serotonin contribute to feelings of pleasure, happiness, and overall well-being.
Thankful means 'expressing gratitude' the opposite being ungrateful meaning 'thankless'. For example: She is ungrateful for everything we do.
Psychologists have defined gratitude as a positive emotional response that we perceive on giving or receiving a benefit from someone (Emmons & McCullough, 2004).
The MCGM measures four components of gratitude: 1) conceptions (or understandings) of gratitude; 2) grateful emotions; 3) attitudes toward gratitude; and 4) gratitude-related behaviors.
Some mental roadblocks to gratitude include feeling impatient, having high expectations, or thinking that the subject is too sentimental. Devoting enough time to the practice can help change one's mentality about gratitude.
Maybe you feel disconnected from others and it's hard to feel appreciative. Maybe the idea of appreciation is odd to you. For some, the idea of gratitude is abstract and difficult to relate to due to their brain structure, personality or genetics.
A meta-analysis of 70 effect sizes based on the responses of 26,427 participants found that higher gratitude was significantly associated with lower depression.