Will Gratitude Boost Your Happiness?

Bad news sells newspapers and keeps the media busy. Consumers are exposed to a lot of negative information that creates fear. It becomes easy for people to think from a scarcity mindset and yearn for times when life was better. However, continuing to do either of these things is not helpful.

What else can you do during times like this? Let me suggest something that is helpful: Gratitude.

Let's look at what gratitude really is:

- Robert Emmons describes it as "a felt sense of wonder" in his book Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (2007). He also says that it is a thankfulness or appreciation for life.

- Chris Peterson describes it as "an awareness and thankfulness for the good things that happen" in his book A Primer in Positive Psychology (2006). In addition, he believes gratitude is taking time to express your feelings of thankfulness.

- A way to provide meaning or connect to the larger Universe. It is one of several strengths making up the virtue known as Transcendence. Gratitude is not usually found in children until they are about seven to ten years old. Until then, children need to be prompted to say or show gratitude.

There are several obstacles that contribute to a lack of gratitude or make it difficult to feel grateful. They are:

- Forgetfulness.

- Lack of awareness.

- Narcissism or entitlement which is a feeling something is rightfully yours.

- Preoccupation with materialism.

- The belief that you are a passive victim.

Gratitude connects you to goodness. According to Positive Psychology research, gratitude:

1. Boosts happiness by promoting the savoring of positive life experiences; you have more satisfaction and enjoyment from your current circumstances.

2. Bolsters self-worth, self-esteem, and confidence.

3. Helps you recognize what you value about your current life.

4. Encourages moral behavior; you become aware of kind actions and want to reciprocate.

5. Helps cope with stress and trauma which improves your physical health.

6. Increases energy.

7. Helps build social bonds and connectedness with others.

8. Tends to neutralize negative emotions i.e., worry, frustration, depression, anxiety, hostility, and envy.

9. Decreases hedonic adaptation or taking good things for granted.

It is possible to learn how to feel grateful more often by:

- Focusing on the present moment.

- Appreciating someone or something in your life as it is today.

- Determining what makes it special to you.

- Taking a few minutes to savor what you feeling.

You might be wondering how often to practice being grateful. For most people, gratitude is most effective when they practice it once or twice a week. This keeps your ideas fresh. However, if you like to do it daily, there is nothing wrong with that.

It is also a good idea to express gratitude in a variety of different ways. For instance:

- If you like to journal, you can write about yourself, others, an object, or event. You can write about something you are unhappy about. Then find something about the situation you can be grateful for, and write about it.

- If you do not like to journal, you can think about the above things and visualize them in your mind instead of writing about them. Take time to savor this for a few minutes.

- If you enjoy talking about things, you can express your feelings by visiting or phoning someone.

- If you like to write letters, you can personally take and read your letter of appreciation to the person or send the letter in the mail.

Gratitude creates emotional prosperity and is universally endorsed by all religions. It creates balance when you feel overwhelmed and are experiencing emotional poverty. Finding ways to practice being grateful will enrich your life and increase your resilience especially when you are feeling negative. Along the way, you will also find yourself feeling happier.


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Maurine Patten, Ed.D., CMC, Maximize Your Possibilities
Mailto: mdpcoach@pattencoaching.com
Find articles and information about living a meaningful life at all stages at: http://www.pattencoaching.com