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Being grateful for the little things in life can have a lasting impact on your health.
Experience Gratitude is beneficial Previous studies have shown that gratitude is good for our physical health and mental well-being, and now a new study has found that people who feel more grateful also have a lower risk of dying. Experts say the report is the first to examine the impact gratitude has on longevity.
The researchers: Nurses’ Health SurveyApproximately 50,000 women aged between 69 and 96 participated and answered a six-item questionnaire. Thank you survey The 2016 study asked participants to rank how much they agreed with statements like “There are many things in life to be grateful for” and “I am grateful for many different people.” This allowed them to determine which women were most and least grateful.
When the researchers looked at the data three years later, they found that the women who were most grateful had a 9% lower risk of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, according to the study published on July 3. Journal JAMA Psychiatry.
“Gratitude is powerful — it can have benefits for anyone, including improved happiness, reduced symptoms of at least mild depression, improved health, and prevention of premature death,” said Dr. Tyler VanderWiel, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study.
During the study’s three-year follow-up, 4,608 participants died: 2,153 were women who reported being the least grateful and 1,273 were women in the middle class. Of the most grateful women, 1,182 died.
The study also found that people who reported feeling more gratitude tended to be slightly younger. Have a partnerparticipation in social or religious groups and improved overall health.
“I think it makes us more grateful for the things that are going well in our lives, like our health and our social relationships,” said VanderWeel, who is also the center’s director. Human Flourishing Programaims to study and promote human happiness, Health, Spirituality and Religion Initiatives At Harvard University.
In the lifespan analysis, the researchers controlled for data groups by comparing similar women who differed only in their gratitude scores, VanderWeel said. They controlled for factors such as psychological well-being, health problems, and other demographics, such as social and religious participation.
“Even after taking into account social connections, other aspects of psychological well-being, basic health characteristics, money and income, we still found that grateful people had about a 10 percent lower risk of mortality than less-grateful people, which is very significant,” VanderWeel says. “Other factors are important, but they don’t explain the full effect of gratitude.”
The study authors noted that participants were primarily older white women from the United States, and future studies with more representative samples are needed to further explore the effects of gratitude and longevity in other age groups.
“Given what we know about the health benefits, it’s not surprising to me at all. Positive emotions “More generally, gratitude may actually increase your lifespan,” said Dr.Gratitude and the Good Life: Toward a Psychology of Gratitude.”
Research has shown that gratitude has a positive impact on individual happiness and thriving, added Watkins, who was not involved in the new study.
To have a lot of gratitude is Physical HealthStrengthening etc. Immune systemLowers blood pressure, heartPeople who are more grateful also sleep better, Self-esteem Reduces anxiety and stress, depression level.
While the new study looked at people who are naturally more grateful, there are ways to practice being more grateful every day, said Emiliana Simon-Thomas, PhD, scientific director of the Greater Good Science Center, a research institute that studies psychology, sociology and psychology. The Neuroscience of Happiness — University of California, Berkeley.
“It’s really important that each person starts from their own comfort zone,” says Simon Thomas, who was not involved in the new study. “It’s not fair to demand gratitude from people, especially those who feel destitute, but it’s not unfair to point out some of the simple, easy, immediate sources of goodness that are actually a source of goodness.”
“It could be something as simple as feeling the warm sun shining through a window on your shoulders. It’s really about realizing that there is something around you, even in difficult moments,” she added.
Simon Thomas recommends three strategies for anyone who wants to develop a deeper sense of gratitude: First, keep a gratitude journal and list a few things you’re grateful for: “A washing machine at home, electricity, the opportunity for a camping trip with friends – the list goes on.”
Another way to practice gratitude is to write letters to people who have had a positive impact on your life — and having those letters delivered will make your feelings of gratitude even stronger, says Simon Thomas.
A third way to feel more grateful is to be more specific when expressing gratitude. When someone buys you a coffee to start your day, instead of just saying “thank you,” try saying something like, “I really appreciate you buying me that coffee today. I know you have so much more to do… and your coffee helped me get so much done,” says Simon Thomas.
There’s no clear-cut view on how often you should show gratitude, says Simon-Thomas, and she recommends trying out different methods to find what feels right for you.
Practicing gratitude is not only key to health and happiness, but it’s also a positive virtue. Positively impacting relationshipsWatkins agreed.
Being more grateful Associated with greater optimism People who express gratitude in general and at a higher level Watkins added that they are more likely to look for the positive in life.
“Research shows that there are far more good things than bad things, but we can easily Focus on the bad“I think one of the reasons why gratitude and being a grateful person is important is because it helps us have a more balanced perspective on life,” Watkins said.