The concept of gratitude — feeling thankful for what you have — is a powerful one.
Over the past few decades, scientists have studied gratitude in depth, and research shows that feeling and expressing gratitude toward others can have real, measurable effects on both physical health and psychological wellbeing.
While holidays like Thanksgiving center on gratitude, research suggests that practicing it year-round and making it part of your outlook may bring a range of benefits.
The science of gratitude falls under a field known as positive psychology, which examines how different life approaches influence wellbeing.
Researchers in this area have found that the health effects of gratitude should not be underestimated. Studies indicate that putting gratitude into practice — such as writing daily journal entries about things you’re thankful for — can reduce symptoms of depression, improve heart health outcomes, and help people in high-stress jobs sleep and eat better.
“Gratitude is a valuable resource for creating resilience and helping promote health and well-being,” Dr. Fuschia Sirois Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield, tells Bustle.
The impact of practicing gratitude on physical health is considerable, according to science. “To date we’ve conducted research that has demonstrated the benefits of gratitude for people with inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and fibromyalgia,” Dr. Sirois tells Bustle. Even among people with severe illnesses and low levels of social support, practicing gratitude daily lowered their risk of depression up to six months later.
Notably, the effects were slightly lower in people living with fibromyalgia, which can be a very painful condition. “Living with fibromyalgia may make it more difficult to find things to be grateful for,” Dr. Sirois says. The impact of gratitude may depend on the challenges in a person’s life.
Gratitude may help us feel better because it connects us with others and encourages self-care. A 2010 overview of studies on gratitude found it can improve interpersonal relationships, trust, and emotional support. Research published in Personality & Individual Differences in 2013 also showed that gratitude may support better health indirectly by motivating self-care behaviors, such as exercising, eating nutrient-dense foods, and seeking medical help when needed.
“My research has shown that grateful people tend to look after themselves more by practicing more frequent health-promoting behaviors, such as eating healthier, exercising regularly, getting good sleep, and avoiding unhealthy habits,” Dr. Sirois tells Bustle.
This focus on positive habits, she says, can reduce the risk of chronic and serious illnesses over time. However, the psychological power of gratitude extends beyond self-care; it can physically change our brains.
Gratitude helps people focus on the positive when they’re facing a negative, stressful situation
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Science shows there isn’t a single “gratitude center” in the brain, but it can still strongly influence brain activity.
A study published in NeuroImage in 2016 found that practicing gratitude over three months led to measurable changes in brain function. Participants wrote letters expressing gratitude, and three months later they showed “significantly greater and lasting neural sensitivity to gratitude,” according to the study.
In other words, they reported more frequent feelings of gratitude, and their brains showed increased activity when expressing it, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region linked to decision-making and learning. Research in Frontiers in Psychology in 2015 also found that gratitude activates the anterior cingulate cortex, which plays a role in regulating emotions.
Dr. Sirois tells Bustle there are several reasons gratitude may be so powerful both neurologically and psychologically. “Gratitude helps people shift their attention to the positive when they are dealing with a negative and stressful situation,” she says.
“Doing so means you spend less time focusing on your difficulties. Being grateful also means taking a look at the big picture, which can help to contextualize your problems and give a fresh perspective.” A stressed brain, she explains, tends to narrow its focus because threat systems are activated. Gratitude encourages a wider view, which can support problem-solving, whether in work situations or personal challenges.
However, gratitude cannot change everything. “It isn’t a magic bullet,” Dr. Sirois says — and it can be difficult to build as a habit, especially during serious illness or periods of high stress. When circumstances are overwhelming, trying to force gratitude can sometimes add pressure rather than relief, so self-kindness matters.
For those who want to begin practicing gratitude, experts suggest starting small. The “three good things” exercise, where you write down three positive things from your day each night, is recommended by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. It takes little time, and over the weeks, it may help shift perspective — with or without Thanksgiving turkey.