Did you know? Being thankful is good for your heart
Could saying ‘thank you’ help you to live longer? A series of studies has found gratitude can help people with cardiovascular disease get healthier.
Research conducted at the Centre of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health at the University of California, San Diego, has found that grateful people are healthier and have less inflammation, sleep better and are less depressed. Keeping a gratitude journal for two months can increase gratitude and its beneficial effects on well-being.
Patients who engaged in gratitude journaling and received usual care showed reduced markers of inflammation and increased heart rate variability. Gratitude enhances both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing and is likely incompatible with the triad of beliefs associated with depression.