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EPISODE 62
A guide to gratitude with science
This guide to gratitude show has been created to help any skeptics out there to indulge in gratitude. It’s also for those who try to have a practice but struggle some days. Hopefully, the science supporting the guide to gratitude will be enough of a “why” to make it an easy daily practice.
We all want a happy life. A good secure job, an amazing family, financial stability, and a great social life! But whilst we’re in this pursuit of happiness, how often do we spare a minute to thank what we already have at this very moment?
Gratitude is a powerful human emotion.
By conveying and receiving simple ‘thank you’ messages, we can truly derive the pleasure that we look for everywhere else.
Thanking others, thanking ourselves, Mother Nature, or the Almighty – gratitude in any form can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier. It has a healing effect on us. (Russell and Fosha, 2008). The benefits of gratitude are endless, “Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
Gratitude in all forms is associated with happiness.
Whether we say ‘thank you’ to someone or receive the same from others, the feeling it brings is that of pure satisfaction and encouragement. Expressions of gratitude help in building and sustaining long term relationships, deal with adversities and bounce back from them with strength and motivation.
Guide to gratitude bringiing happiness
Gratitude improves interpersonal relationships at home and work (Gordon, 2012). The connection between gratitude and happiness is multi-dimensional. Expressing gratitude not only to others but also to ourselves, induces positive emotions, primarily happiness. By producing feelings of pleasure and contentment, gratitude impacts on our overall health and well-being as well.
In a survey on gratitude in adult professionals, British psychologist and wellness expert Robert Holden found that 65 out of 100 people selected happiness over health, although they indicated that both were equally important for a good life. Holden, in his study, suggested that the roots of many psychopathological conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress are unhappiness.
The guide to gratitude of simple practices like maintaining a gratitude journal, complimenting yourself, or sending small tokens and thank you notes can make us feel a lot better and enhance our mood immediately.
Listen to the show to learn more about:
- How Gratitude improves health
- How Gratitude builds professional commitment
- The Neuroscientific Research Into Gratitude
- Gratitude And Neurotransmitters
- How Gratitude Affects the Brain
Puja McClymont – certified coach, wisdom teacher, speaker and host of the SELF Care 101 podcast.
As a life and leadership coach, I help mission-driven individuals who are seeking direction, to gain clarity, by expanding their inner awareness through the ancient wisdom teachings of Ayurveda and Yoga; so that they can lead more purposeful and fulfilling lives.
Discover tips and insights through my YouTube channel, podcast, blog and email edit.
