Gratitue Schmatitude

Yeah, yeah, I should count my blessings and that will make me happier. How about a new car, a gigantic television and winning the lottery? Are those the things that will make you happy? Well, not according to scientific study. Research confirms that our level of happiness is remarkably stable. People who win the lottery or suffer catastrophic loss return to their usual level of happiness after three to six months. Events on either end of the spectrum do not have a lasting impact. Studies have also shown that being thankful is the key to raising that level. Gratitude is the way to increase your happiness baseline.

Dr. Robert A. Emmons is a professor at UC Davis and a psychologist who researches gratitude. The most common method he uses is to ask people to keep a “Gratitude Journal” where you write some¬thing you for which you feel grateful. More than a hundred adults were asked to keep a journal, and were randomly assigned to 3 different groups. Group A had to write about things they felt grateful about, Group B about things they found annoying and Group C about things that had had a major impact on them.

Using this methodology across 3 different studies he found that people in the gratitude group felt fully 25% happier - they were more optimistic about the future, they felt better about their lives and they even did almost 1.5 hours more exercise a week than those in the hassles or events condition. There was also a positive impact on sleep and an increase in reported connectedness to other people and in the likelihood of helping another person deal with a personal problem.

In summary, Dr. Emmons states, “The ability to notice, appreciate, and savior the elements of ones life has been viewed as a crucial element of well-being.”

Gratitude is not just about saying thanks for the grub once a year.

If you take a minute to consider this it is truly amazing. Being grateful is free, takes 2 minutes, makes your life better, and can even make you a better person. What’s stopping you?

Nothing is too trivial when it comes to expressing gratitude. Here are some of the things that people in the study wrote:
•I don't have a headache today.
•I had a good lunch.
•I have my family.
•My new socks keep my feet warm.
•I made a joke and people laughed (got to take whatever I can get!).

Right now I’m grateful that I’m getting my newsletter done, my dog is happy and healthy at the age of 15, my daughter is doing well in school, and I’m drinking a delicious cup of coffee. Before you move onto your next email or task, take the little bit of time required to note the things for which you are grateful. If you get into the habit of being grateful the benefits will last all through the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!