The benefits of gratitude

It’s Thanksgiving Day for our counterparts across the pond. While they’re getting ready to sit down to a nice family dinner, it’s important to remember the event is all about be thankful for the things we have. But new research in the US shows the simple emotion of gratitude holds a wealth of health benefits for stressed-out workers.

According to University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons, people who perceive gratefulness as a permanent trait tend to take better care of themselves than those who think gratitude comes and goes. He says they engage in healthy behaviours such as exercise, healthy eating and regular visits to the doctor.

The emotion is also being linked to decreased stress levels. Emmons says: “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress.”

Because grateful people tend to be more optimistic, Emmons says research links gratitude to a better immune system. One particular study looked at first-year law students under extreme stress, and those who displayed optimism maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system than their pessimistic classmates.

So even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, take some time out today to think about what your thankful for. A little gratitude goes a long way.

Read the original article at wb.md/2esqV5W