The Power of Gratitude
grat·i·tude -
noun
noun: gratitude
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
Your Brain loves gratitude
Here is a helpful exercise. Write down 3 things that you are grateful for every day. I have many friends that do it at night, before they go to bed. I usually do it every morning, as I am so tired at night. I keep a little notebook and write them down. I sometimes am grateful for the same things every day, but I try and write down different things. One of my patients, who happens to be a friend, gave me a gratitude jar for Christmas last year. It was so fun as a family to brainstorm about all our blessings.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
Brain SPECT scan (single photon emission computed tomography) evaluate blood flow and activity patterns in the brain. Brain SPECT scans in people reveal that patients that show more gratitude overall had higher levels of activity in their hypothalamus. So what is the hypothalamus? It is the part of your brain that controls many important functions, including:
releasing hormones.
regulating body temperature.
maintaining daily physiological cycles.
controlling appetite.
managing of sexual behavior.
regulating emotional responses.
Expressing gratitude caused the subjects to experience an increase in dopamine hits, the reward neurotransmtter that makes the brain happy!!
Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. It is almost impossible to feel anxious if you are feeling gratitude at the same time.
All material gathered and researched through my amazing fellowship program, The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
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