The Many Gifts Of Gratitude

When doctors prescribe medication and lifestyle changes maybe they should also include a recommendation for the practice of gratitude.

Research reveals that gratitude, much like a good dietary supplement, supports and strengthens our overall physical and mental well being—without generating unpleasant side effects.

Health Perks

Studies run by Dr. Wendy Mendes at the University of California, San Francisco showed that individuals with high levels of gratitude:

• Have less anger, anxiety, and depression, and are more optimistic.
• Have better quality of sleep.
• Are more socially connected, and tend to prefer egalitarian relationships over hierarchical ones.
• Have lower resting blood pressure, even when stressed.
• Have lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol), higher HDL (“good” cholesterol), and lower creatinine levels (indicating good kidney function).

Though the research did not examine the influence of gratitude on insulin sensitivity, the benefits measured can help address the medical, mood, sleep, and support issues faced by many people managing type 1 or 2 diabetes.

Brain Activity

What makes gratitude a powerful force for health may have something to do with how it activates our brain.

Research demonstrates that when we read stories about individuals receiving lifesaving help - and imagine how grateful we'd feel in the same situation - it enhances our brain activity in two regions: the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).

The ACC and mPFC are associated with emotional processing, interpersonal bonding, rewarding social interactions, moral judgement, and the ability to understand the mental states of others. “A lot of people conflate gratitude with the simple emotion of receiving a nice thing. What we found was something a little more interesting,” said researcher Glenn Fox. “The pattern of [brain] activity we see shows that gratitude is a complex social emotion that is really built around how others seek to benefit us.”

In contrast, scientists found that people who are generally ungrateful have traits of self-importance, vanity, arrogance, and an insatiable need for admiration, or approval.

Habits Of Gratitude

The way gratitude affects our brain is reflected in the six habits practiced by highly appreciative people:

1. They occasionally contemplate death and loss. Envisioning the loss of something or someone we care about makes us more appreciative of their presence.
2. They are mindful of what each moment offers, taking time to smell the roses, freshly brewed coffee, the air after rain, or a new car's interior. When we savor positive experiences they make a greater impression on our brain, increasing the benefit to mind and body.
3. They consider good things to be gifts, not a birthright. People who feel life’s benefits are owed them have no reason to be appreciative. “Seeing with grateful eyes requires that we see the web of interconnection in which we alternate between being givers and receivers,” writes gratitude researcher Robert Emmons.
4. They’re grateful for people, not just for things. Thanking someone who opens a door for us, or serves our dinner strengthens social ties.
5. They make their expression of gratitude authentic by sharing exactly what they are grateful for, and why. For instance, “I’m so grateful that you picked up my medication for me this afternoon when I was tied up at work. It allowed me to concentrate on my project instead of worrying about getting to the pharmacy.”
6. They maintain an appreciative attitude even when unpleasant things occur. This is a tall order, but exercising gratitude - even if we’ve lost a job, had a disappointing A1C test, or burned this year’s turkey - helps us manage life’s challenges constructively.

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~ Thornton Wilder

Sources: GGSC Berkely/Health; GGSC Berkely/Grateful Brain; GGSC Berkely/Ungrateful; GGSC Berkely/Habits
Photo credit: Asha Waterhouse