Volume II – No. 2
Posted August 12, 2024 Psychology Today | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk
Our most recent work shows that gratitude extends life expectancy.
KEY POINTS
- The practice of gratitude involves seeing the good in things around us.
- Gratitude has been shown to improve well-being.
- Anyone can practice gratitude, and, so, it should be widely practiced and promoted.
In spite of much around us that is difficult, undesirable, or challenging, there is also a great deal in our lives that is good that we can appreciate and celebrate. The practice of gratitude involves seeing the good in things around us. When we fix our attention on these positive aspects of life, acknowledge that they are good, and realize that, in many cases, we are not their source, we can experience gratitude. We may be grateful to someone who has helped us, who has given us something, or who has somehow brought about what is good. We may be grateful for the opportunities we have been given that allow us to act to bring about something good. We may be grateful for the intrinsic goodness of nature or of what surrounds us. We may be grateful to God for the goodness of creation. All of these various forms of gratitude involve a recognition of what is good.
Gratitude and Well-Being
Past research has indicated important effects of gratitude on enhancing well-being. And simple easy-to-use interventions have been developed to increase gratitude in life and, thereby, well-being. One might, for instance, try writing down three things one is grateful for three times a week over the course of a month or two, or even longer. Evidence from numerous randomized trials (summarized in this meta-analysis) suggests that such simple activities of focusing the mind on what is good in one’s past or present can help