THE BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE

What are you grateful for? Answering that simple question might have surprising health benefits.

According to neuroscientist Glenn Fox, gratitude is an essential part of being human and may even be a byproduct of evolution. Millions of years ago, back when the earliest humans started chiseling stone tools, gratitude might have helped the species survive.

“People who did not develop gratitude or grateful relationships with others... It’s very unlikely they would have survived in a social context. As it turns out, a grateful mindset may have done more than keep our ancestors alive–it’s built into our body’s biochemistry and can provide relief right now. Feelings of gratitude have been shown to improve sleep, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and make you feel less angry and depressed.

To reap the benefits, it’s not enough to list all the things you’re grateful for at the Thanksgiving table, you have to make it a daily practice. Start a gratitude journal, volunteer and find a way to “pay it forward” with a random act of grateful kindness everyday. It’s not as hard as it sounds... after all, it’s right there in your DNA!