Why Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Healthier And Happier

If you’ve put off starting a gratitude practice because you don’t *really* believe it will help you reach your health goals, or because you want to focus on achieving physical progress first, I get it… 

For SO long, I truly believed that if I just focused on what I ate and how much I exercised, then I would be healthy and happy and finally feel good in my skin. Well, I can tell you that was definitely not the case. It wasn’t until I started really working on my negative thoughts and building a gratitude practice that I could see a shift in my physical and mental health. 

I know it can be hard to believe in the power of something so simple, but here’s why you should: 

Many of us are always so focused on improving or achieving the next goal that we don’t take the time to appreciate what we already have. By practicing gratitude, we are able to appreciate not only what we have but also who we are in that very moment. It takes us out of a state of lack, where we are always thinking about what we are missing in our lives or why we are not good enough, and instead boosts our confidence and self-esteem, making us more likely to stay motivated and consistent especially when it comes to implementing new healthy behaviors and routines into our lives. 

Studies on gratitude have shown that incorporating a daily gratitude practice can also directly benefit our physical and mental health in various ways, including:

• Lowering levels of stress hormones (cortisol)
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving sleep quality
• Strengthening the immune system
• Reducing anxiety and depression 
• Decreasing risk of disease 

If you’re still debating whether doing something as simple as being grateful will actually have an impact on your health and happiness, I urge you just to give it a try for a week and see if you start to notice any changes. It can be as simple as making a list of 3 things you are grateful for each day. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!