How Gratitude Can Make You Happier
Having a daily gratitude practice can enhance overall well-being and appreciating others helps to build positivity in relationships. Practicing gratitude can also help lead to greater satisfaction in life.
Did you know that practicing gratitude also has a lesser-known but even better outcome…..
Practicing gratitude can actually change your brain!
Increased Activity in the Prefrontal Cortex: This area of the brain is associated with decision-making and emotional regulation. Gratitude practices can enhance its activity, leading to improved emotional resilience.
Release of Neurotransmitters: Gratitude stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are linked to feelings of happiness and well-being. This creates a positive feedback loop, reinforcing grateful thoughts.
Changes in Brain Structure: Regular gratitude practice may increase the volume of the hippocampus, which is involved in learning and memory, and the anterior cingulate cortex, which plays a role in emotional regulation.
Decreased Activity in the Amygdala: This part of the brain is associated with stress and fear responses. Practicing gratitude can lower its activity, helping to reduce anxiety and promote a sense of calm.
Enhanced Perspective: Gratitude encourages a shift in focus from negative to positive aspects of life, helping to rewire the brain’s pathways towards a more optimistic outlook.
In my family, we have an evening practice of sharing what we are grateful for during the day. It is one of my favorite ways to connect with those I love. Find a time of day to practice gratitude. Your life and brain will thank you.
