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Your Body on Gratitude
You don’t need turkey and pumpkin pie to enjoy the benefits of giving thanks
It happens every year. You just sat down to a mouthwatering Thanksgiving meal. Right as you’re about to dig into the mashed potatoes, someone says, “Let’s go around the table and share one thing we’re thankful for!” Publicly declaring your thankfulness might feel awkward, but you should do it anyway—and not just on Thanksgiving. That’s because feeling and expressing gratitude can have major benefits for your physical and mental health. In fact, studies show that thankful people tend to experience fewer headaches, get sick less often, and have healthier hearts. So before you go for that second helping of pie, check out a few of the effects of thankfulness on your mind, body, and mood.
Mood
Positive emotions like gratefulness trigger the release of several happiness-boosting hormones. These hormones help improve your mood, quality of sleep, and self-esteem.
Heart
Feeling thankful spurs the release of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin helps reduce blood pressure and protects your heart.
Brain
Expressing gratitude can increase activity in the prefrontal cortex, the region that controls learning and decision making.
Body
Studies show that grateful people tend to make healthier choices about their diet. They’re also more likely to exercise and avoid alcohol and drugs.
Immune System
People who practice feeling and expressing gratitude tend to produce more disease-fighting cells, strengthening their immune systems.
Not sure how to express gratitude? Try one of these.
Write It: Keep a daily journal. In it, try describing at least one thing each day that made you smile or turned out better than you expected.
Think It: Make a habit of spending a few moments thinking about your loved ones (pets count!) or reflecting on a recent interaction that made you feel appreciated.
Say It: Thank others. Say thank you to your parents, teachers, coaches, camp counselors, friends, and anyone else who helps you in ways big or small.
Test how much you know about gratitude.
True or false? Practicing gratitude can improve your grades.
True!
False!
TRUE! Keeping a daily gratitude journal boosts your motivation, which can benefit your GPA.
True or false? To get the benefits of gratitude, you should be thankful for the exact same thing every day.
FALSE! Finding different things to be grateful for each day can help you appreciate new experiences.
True or false? There’s no “right” way to feel grateful.
TRUE! You can be grateful for big things, like your health and your family, but also little things, like eating ice cream or hearing your favorite song. It all works!
What are you most grateful for?
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