Guest Article: The Many Benefits of Gratitude by Jennifer Miller

What are you grateful for? Our national holiday of Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so naturally, gratitude is on my mind. I was curious about the tangible benefits of gratitude. Can the act of being grateful have mental benefits? What about physical benefits? Turns out that yes, giving thanks provides more than just a temporary “feel good” state. Here’s what I discovered:

Gratitude improves your sleep, mental health and ability to make friends.

Managers who say “thank you” help increase their employees’ motivation to work harder.  

Teens who are grateful have better overall mental health and higher grade point averages.

Gratitude during times of tragedy can help you manage the stressful event.

People who say they’re typically the “grateful” type also report better health factors such as lower cholesterol, blood pressure and risk of depression.

Clearly, gratitude is an emotional state that reaps many benefits. Even though the focus is on gratitude this week, see if you can make it a daily habit—all year long—for maximum effectiveness in your personal and professional life.

 
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