Thank You: It's More Than 2 Little Words.

I say “thank you” at least 50 times a day. Sometimes it's a casual polite “thanks” after someone opens a door or says “bless you” following my sneeze. Other times it’s a truly grateful and heartfelt “thank you” to someone who has helped me significantly. More often than not, I sign my outgoing emails with a “thank you.” These two words are used habitually and few of us stop to think carefully about gratitude, but positive psychology researchers sure do. Gratitude is part of the reason we say “thank you” and mean it and feel good.

Researchers consider gratitude, for some of us, as a part of our personality, defining it as a personal tendency to appreciate experiences and outcomes¹. Individuals high in trait gratitude are more likely to experience appreciation in higher amounts, across situations, and for longer periods of time. A temporary sense of gratitude, on the other hand. is defined as a reaction to a specific moment in time when one feels appreciation for an experience or outcome².

Gratitude is generally a pleasant experience. But research suggests that it can do more than simply give you a small mood boost ini the moment. These are some of the major benefits from expressing and experiencing gratitude:

• Reduce anxiety and its symptoms³
• Reduce depression and its symptoms⁴
• Increase mental well-being⁵
• Increased rates of life satisfaction⁶
• Increased forgiveness⁷
• Increased confidence⁸
• Better physical health⁹
• Increased quality of sleep¹⁰

So if gratitude is so great for your mind and your body, what do you do if you are not a naturally grateful person? Never fear, you can practice. Gratitude as a practice is far more than just saying “thank you.” In daily practice, gratitude involves paying attention to the world around you and noticing the things you may take for granted¹¹. For example, when I am intentional about gratitude I tend to appreciate nature and beauty much more. Similarly, writing or journaling can be an excellent way to take stock of the good things in your life. Gratitude journals have often been used in research and can easily be created or purchased¹². Finally, expressing gratitude (saying “thank you”) can help you feel more connected with others and increase your practice of gratitude.

Actively practicing gratitude can bring a lot of light to your life and reduce your stress. I enjoy practicing gratitude for this exact reason. I would rather be grateful for today than stress about tomorrow (at least not too much).

Want to learn more? Check out this The Science of Happiness podcast episode on gratitude.

---

Sources and Further Reading

1  Vernon, L. L. (2012). Relationships among proactive coping, posttrauma gratitude, and psychopathology in a traumatized college sample. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21(1), 114-130.
2  Vernon, L. L. (2012). Relationships among proactive coping, posttrauma gratitude, and psychopathology in a traumatized college sample. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21(1), 114-130.
3  McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. A. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of personality and social psychology, 82(1), 112.
4  Lin, C. C. (2015). Gratitude and depression in young adults: The mediating role of self-esteem and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 87, 30-34.
4  Stockton, J. G., Tucker, R. P., Kleiman, E. M., & Wingate, L. R. (2016). How does gratitude affect the relationship between positive humor styles and suicide-related outcomes?. Personality and individual differences, 102, 240-244.
5  Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., & Maltby, J. (2008). Gratitude uniquely predicts satisfaction with life: Incremental validity above the domains and facets of the five factor model. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(1), 49-54.
6 Chen, L. H., Wu, C. H., & Chang, J. H. (2017). Gratitude and athletes’ life satisfaction: The moderating role of mindfulness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(4), 1147-1159.
7 Eaton, R. J., Bradley, G., & Morrissey, S. (2014). Positive predispositions, quality of life and chronic illness. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 19(4), 473-489.
8 Lin, C. C. (2015). Gratitude and depression in young adults: The mediating role of self-esteem and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 87, 30-34.
8 Mills, P. J., Wilson, K., Punga, M. A., Chinh, K., Pruitt, C., Greenberg, B., Lunde, O., Wood, A., Redwine, L., & Chopra, D. (2015). The Role of Gratitude in Well-being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, 14(1), 51.
9 Hill, P. L., Allemand, M., & Roberts, B. W. (2013). Examining the pathways between gratitude and self-rated physical health across adulthood. Personality and individual differences, 54(1), 92-96.
10  Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Lloyd, J., & Atkins, S. (2009). Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of psychosomatic research, 66(1), 43-48.
11 Emmons, R. A. (2013). Gratitude works!: A 21-day program for creating emotional prosperity. John Wiley & Sons.
12 Emmons, R. A. (2013). Gratitude works!: A 21-day program for creating emotional prosperity. John Wiley & Sons.