I don’t think it is a surprise that there is a relationship between one’s emotions and one’s health. It is commonly thought that the happier you are, the healthier you are. Just as negativity can be bad for your health, having a positive outlook on life may lead to more desirable health outcomes.
It’s been around two months since we Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving. More recently, our neighbours south of the border enjoyed their time of giving thanks, which for them represents the beginning of a joyous holiday season. This has made me think about whether there are positive health outcomes associated with feelings of gratitude. According to research, there may be.
A recent extensive review of the literature on the effects of gratitude on one’s health, was published this year in the Journal of Positive Psychology. While much more research is necessary to establish a clear link between gratitude and good health, there is enough evidence to say that active gratitude behaviour can definitely affect one’s psychological health, which in turn can affect one’s physical health.
It is important to understand that gratitude is an emotion and refers to how we perceive the benefits we get from external forces and being attentive to feelings of sufficiency and appreciation for the physical and non-physical things we have.
Studies are showing a slight relationship between feelings of gratitude and positive physiological changes in cardiovascular health, inflammatory biomarkers, sleep quality and even pain perception. Stronger relationships exist between attitudes of gratitude and depression, anxiety and stress management.
Gratitude does not often come easily even for those with obvious positives in their lives. Activities that can stimulate positive appreciation are gratitude journaling and writing letters (sent or unsent) to those, past or present, for having in your life.
General happiness and well-being can be directly related to how appreciative one is with the things they have. It is generally thought that the happiness is related to longevity. The happier you are, the longer you live.
Let gratitude be the greatest gift you give yourself this holiday season.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
