NCP Blog: Practicing Gratitude Can Improve Your Attitude

Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you” to someone for something they did or said- it’s about appreciating the positive things in our lives every day. Some of the things I’m grateful for right now are my health, my family, and my colleagues at NCP.

Health Benefits of Gratitude

 

Research shows that practicing gratitude is good for your mental and physical health. According to UCLA Health, practicing gratitude for 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for six weeks can improve your perspective and your mental wellness!

 

Here are a few ways that taking the time to feel thankful can improve your health:

 

Reduce depression: Practicing gratitude seems to reduce depression, but more research is needed to understand why. People who are grateful report feeling more satisfied, higher self-esteem, and stronger social relationships.

 

Lessen anxiety: Focusing on positive things helps keep you thinking about the present, which can help break the cycle of worrying and negative thoughts that people with anxiety experience.

 

Support heart health: Improving sleep, diet, exercise, and depressive symptoms can reduce the risk of heart disease. A review of some research found that keeping a gratitude journal helped reduce blood pressure, also.

 

Relieve stress: Gratitude helps calm the nervous system. Take a moment to be thankful, and it will cause physiological changes in your body such as lower blood pressure and a reduced heart rate.

 

Improve sleep: Thinking positive thoughts before bed can improve your sleep. Sleep quality is also impacted by stress, anxiety, and depression- so when those things are improved by practicing thankfulness, you’ll sleep better!

 

 

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