Gratitude is Your Superpower

Why and how to practice gratitude even when you don’t feel like you have something to be grateful for.

Count your blessings - before you roll your eyes and pass it off as a simple cliché designed to make you feel better, let’s look into the scientific evidence that supports the idea that practicing gratitude can, in fact, make a difference in your life.

Numerous researchers have tested this idea, so we have proof that it works. Here is a summary of two experiments that confirm practicing gratitude is good for you and will make you feel good!

1. At the University of Miami, Emmons and McCullough conducted a study where the participants were divided into three groups.

Group 1: journaled about negative events and focused on hassles they encountered in life, such as not finding a parking spot.

Group 2: journaled about things they were grateful for, such as getting to the supermarket to find they had just restocked their favorite cereal.

Group 3: journaled about neutral events in life, such as brushing teeth.

Then, each group had to report on how they felt about their well-being, and the result was that Group 2, the group that focused on gratitude, consistently showed higher reports of well-being as compared to the other two groups.

2. An experiment was conducted where participants underwent fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). While these participants were under the fMRI, they were told stories of Holocaust survivors. The stories they were told were from the point of view of survivors who felt immense gratitude towards strangers who had helped them survive the horrible events. These survivors expressed gratitude for food, clothing, protection, and shelter that was made available to them by people whom they didn’t even know. As the study participants were being observed, it was found that the gratitude they were hearing about elicited active engagement in the anterior cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex areas of the brain. These two brain areas are associated with emotional processing, decision-making, and empathy. The findings suggest that gratitude fosters positive emotions and enhances our capacity for compassion and social connection.

Now that you are convinced - gratitude can be your superpower and help improve your life, let’s explore three easy ways to incorporate gratitude into your life.

1. Keep a gratitude journal.

Either upon waking or before going to sleep, reach for a journal (this can also be the notes app on your phone) and write something for which you are grateful.

2. With intention, thank everyone you encounter.

Checking out at the grocery store? Thank the person ringing you up.

Picking your child up from school? Thank them for buckling up, for being on time, for remembering their backpack and water bottle…it doesn’t matter…find something to thank them intentionally for.

Someone cooked dinner for you? Helped take out the trash? Did your co-worker complete something you have been waiting for?

Find something about everyone that you encounter for a whole day and thank them for it. Be intentional and genuine. Can’t do the whole day? Do just the morning or just the evening.

3. Write some thank-you cards and mail them.

Do you have some extra time? When was the last time you got a note from a friend in the mail just because? Stop by a store, pick up a few Thank-You cards, and write and mail one or more! You will feel good having expressed your gratitude for the special person, and when they receive the card, you will make two people happy (you and them,!).

Gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated—start small, stay consistent, and see how it transforms your life. You’ll not only feel better, but you’ll also spread that positivity to everyone around you.