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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWe say \u201cthanks\u201d a dozen or more times a day: when someone holds a door open, bags our groceries, puts a report on our desk. It\u2019s a reflex, an unaware reaction to simple daily happenings. We just say it, most often without really acknowledging the person we\u2019re thanking. It is like a routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet as easy as it is to engage in a \u201cthanks\u2014no problem\u201d exchange in our daily routines, we\u2019re often left, in moments of larger generosity, feeling unworthy or embarrassed by what\u2019s being offered. If you\u2019ve ever thwarted a friend\u2019s attempt to treat you to dinner or received a gift that you insisted was \u201ctoo much,\u201d you may be struck by that thankfulness gap<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if \u201cthank you\u201d is too easy to say in some instances, and out of our reach in others, how can you go beyond a muttered \u201cthanks\u201d to one that\u2019s truly underpinned with gratitude? And why would you want to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turns out, there\u2019s a great deal to be gained from truly feeling grateful. Research has linked gratitude with a wide range of benefits<\/a>, including strengthening your immune system and improving sleep patterns<\/a>, feeling optimistic and experiencing more joy and pleasure, being more helpful and generous<\/a>, and feeling less lonely and isolated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think back to that impulse to rebuff a gift or gesture for being \u201ctoo much.\u201d What would happen if you didn\u2019t get involved in your minds story, and instead allowed yourself to let that gift, that kind gesture, really sink in? Building your capacity for gratitude isn\u2019t difficult. You just need to practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers at Indiana University did a further study. Using an fMRI scanner, they compared brain activity in a group of gratitude letter-writers with a group who didn\u2019t write a letter. The letter-writers showed greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with learning and decision-making\u2014and the effect persisted three months later. \u201cSimply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain<\/em>,\u201d they concluded, noting that practicing gratitude can lead to greater sensitivity to the experience of gratitude in the future. And that bodes well for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWell, here comes 2 Reasons to Practice Gratitude…<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1) It\u2019s Good for You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2) It\u2019s Good for Your Relationships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To just feel\u2026grateful? And if that still feels difficult, you can always consider this:
There\u2019s scientific evidence that feeling and expressing gratitude in relationships of all kinds strengthens them.<\/strong> Researchers from both the University of North Carolina and University of California found that gratitude acts as a\u00a0\u201cbooster shot\u201d<\/a>\u00a0for romantic relationships. And a review of close to 100 studies by researchers at the University of Nottingham determined that those who feel and express gratitude tend to be pro-social\u2014kind, helpful, and giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Simple Gratitude Exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n