An attitude of gratitude: What science says about being thankful

As we count our blessings (and prepare to chow down) this Thanksgiving, we may be thinking of gratitude as something we celebrate — and prompt ourselves to feel — once a year.

But FIU psychology experts say gratitude isn’t about one holiday. It’s a lifelong mindset that can lead to overwhelmingly positive effects. From helping us reduce anxiety and increasing our sense of connection to loved ones, having a grateful attitude even in the smallest of situations can make a big difference.

FIU News sat down with Philip Lazarus, associate professor of psychology, and Rachel Ritchie, associate teaching professor of psychology, to learn more about the ways that gratitude can revolutionize our outlook on life, help us be happier — and how we can grow in our gratitude habits.

Here are four key things you need to know about tapping into the power of thanksgiving.

1. Gratitude literally changes your biochemistry — and makes you healthier.

“Experiencing gratitude actually rewires the brain,” Ritchie says. “It helps communication in neurological pathways. It’s been linked to improved sleep, relationship health and mood regulation.”

When we feel gratitude, Lazarus explains, our brains release hormones associated with happiness and joy — dopamine and serotonin. “Those are two crucial neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotions,” he says. “When we release these hormones, they make us feel good. They immediately make us feel happy from the inside.”

Lazarus, who is the past president of the National Association of School Psychologists, adds that studies have shown that people who feel grateful have reduced levels of cortisol, the “stress” hormone; have better cardiac functioning; and are more resilient when they face emotional setbacks or negative experiences. Gratitude also reduces anxiety and depression and helps people manage stress more effectively.

Additionally, studies have shown that keeping a gratitude journal or engaging in thankful thoughts help ameliorate the effects of physical pain such as injury.

The bottom line: “There’s no negative side effects of feeling gratitude,” Lazarus says. “There are only positive aspects for us.”

2. It’s about changing your perspective.

Is the glass half full or half empty? Gratitude has a lot to do with optimism— with seeing the good and acknowledging the source of the good in our lives.

“Gratitude can elevate our mindset,” Lazarus says. “If we start acknowledging and appreciating all the good things in life, then we’re cultivating gratitude. It could be something as simple as ‘It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and the sun is shining’ or ‘I got a great parking spot at FIU today.’ It could be something really small. For example, whenever I open the door, my dog is so excited to see me. Charlie (a Shih Tzu) comes and greets me. I feel joy in my heart, and I feel grateful for how my dog loves me. It’s that simple. That’s gratitude.”

Little by little, it can change your life.

“We often work on a deficit model,” Ritchie says. “We try to find what’s wrong and fix it. We don’t stop to think about what’s right. When we can change our perspective, when we can see everything that is right in our lives, then we can change our outlook.”

Ritchie adds that many of us tend to focus on the challenges that lie ahead or we decide that we’ll postpone joy until we accomplish a particular goal.

“It’s a treadmill effect,” Ritchie says. “Trying to get to the next hurdle in life. We’ll sometimes tell ourselves, ‘I’ll be happy after I graduate,’ or ‘I’ll be happy after I get a job or a new car’ and so on. We don’t focus on what gives us joy right now. And that’s what gratitude is about. Appreciating what we have.”

3. Gratitude is intertwined with a higher purpose, acts of kindness and connection with others.  

Family. Friends. Faith.

When things get tough, these are crucial lifelines, says Lazarus. He has extensive experience counseling people after traumatic events. “The three F’s are the factors we see again and again. They are very important to helping people see the good in their lives and overcome adversity.”

Taking the time to express your gratitude to family and friends who love you is an incredibly powerful thing, Ritchie says, since showing your thankfulness strengthens bonds and leads to healthier relationships.

For people of faith, Lazarus says, prayer is a particularly important element of gratitude, as it allows you to thank God for anything you feel is a blessing.

One of the key take-aways: “Gratitude is linked with having a sense of purpose,” Ritchie says.

“Religion gives us meaning in life, a set of guiding principles,” Ritchie adds. Doing acts of kindness also impacts our purpose in life.

“People who engage in altruism are happier,” Ritchie says. “They are more resilient. They can bounce back from negative experiences faster. It’s tied to gratitude. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, baking for others, putting an extra quarter for someone at the vending machine, leaving a note for a loved one in the morning, finding ways to connect with a community, these things bring us bursts of joy.”

Ritchie, who teaches a senior psychology seminar on the science of happiness, often assigns her students to write letters of gratitude to someone who made a positive impact on their lives. Then, they read the letter to that person.

“Thanking someone and seeing that person respond and feel happy will bring you joy,” Ritchie explains. “And then you feel grateful.”

4. You can become more grateful. Here’s how.

If you’re a bit of a pessimist or you find yourself complaining more than you'd like, no need to worry. Lazarus and Ritchie both agree that there are definite steps we can take to deepen — or acquire — an attitude of gratitude.

“Gratitude is like a muscle,” Lazarus says. “The more we practice being grateful the more we become connected to gratitude’s transformative benefits. At the beginning, it may require more effort. As we start moving forward, it becomes a habit.”

Again, both experts recommend starting small, and giving thanks for even the tiniest of things that bring you joy.

Here are some tips you can try to help you foster a mindset of gratitude:

• Identify three good things before going to sleep every night. “Studies have found that just stopping and appreciating three good things that happened to you each day will help you get better sleep,” Ritchie says. People of faith often do this when they pray every night and thank God for their blessings, Lazarus adds. For those interested in meditation, Lazarus suggests meditating not on a word or phrase but on what they are grateful for.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Just write down anything that you are thankful for. When you are grateful for people, that’s the absolute best, says Lazarus. But, he adds, it could be nature, food, anything that you feel is a blessing. 
• Find ways to connect with the community. “There are so many places you can volunteer in Miami,” Ritchie says. “You just have to find an organization or a way to give back, and it’ll bring you joy and gratitude.” 
• Set up your own gratitude jar. You can use index cards and markers or scrap pieces of paper or you can get crafty and design little notes on which you can write something you’re grateful for each day. Toss it in your gratitude jar, and by the end of the week, you’ll be surprised to see how many good things you experienced — and how many things, whether big or small, you are thankful for.

• Write a thank you letter. You might not expect how great it can feel to put down your appreciation on paper, and then how joyful you’ll feel when you make someone else happy with your gratitude. It'll help jumpstart the cycle of gratitude in which you help cause joy, bring gratitude to others, and then their joy brings you gratitude. 
• Don’t forget to thank yourself. If you’re going to appreciate all the good things in your life, make sure you recognize the good that you're doing, too. “Treating yourself with kindness will help you develop the skill of gratitude,” Lazarus says. “You don’t need to be perfectly grateful all the time, just notice that things are going well. You can be compassionate with yourself.”
• Remember why your activities matter — what your purpose is. For example, Ritchie keeps a folder with thank you-notes that students have written for her throughout the years. “I call it my Happiness Folder,” she says. “I use it as a reminder of why I do this. It helps keep me going.”

If all else fails, make sure you tell your loved ones those two big words: Thank you.