Emma Seppälä, Ph.D.
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Emma Seppälä, Ph.D.

  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
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HappinessHealthInner Peace

13 Science-Backed Benefits of Gratitude + Free Guided Gratitude Meditation

written by emmamseppala June 17, 2014
13 Science-Backed Benefits of Gratitude + Free Guided Gratitude Meditation

Want to be happy, healthy and have great relationships? Sure, we all do! And we’ve hear a million times about the obvious ways to take care of ourselves: exercise, diet etc.

But there’s one simple exercise that boosts all of these things simultaneously and that most of us simply don’t know. What’s that? Being thankful. Sound too simplistic to you? Not so fast! Check out 13 of its stellar science-backed benefits:

Benefits of Gratitude:

HAPPINESS

1 – Increases your Happiness. Counting your blessings leads to heightened well-being, especially positive mood (and who couldn’t use more of that?) (ref1. ref2 ref3).

2 – Brings you Happiness that Lasts. In fact, an attitude of gratitude can not only help you increase positive emotion, but also sustain it. Heck, ice cream can make us happy in the moment but gratitude leads to long-term happiness (ref)

3 – Protects you from Stress & Negativity. Gratitude is associated with decreased anxiety and depression and increased social support (ref)

4 – Reduces Your Materialism. One reason gratitude boosts our well-being is that it reduces materialism (ref) which is a good thing because materialism is linked to less happiness (ref)

RELATIONSHIPS

5 – Makes you more socially intelligent (ref)

6 – Leads to better relationships. Gratitude strengthens your relationships and helps you create and maintain good relationships and feel more connected (ref1 and ref2 and ref3 and ref4)

7 – Makes you Sexier. Gratitude improves romantic relationships by making people feel more satisfied in their relationships and connected to their partner (ref)

HEALTH

8 – It Even Improves Sleep Quality & Duration– in part because you have more grateful/happy thoughts before you go to sleep (ref). Count blessings, not sheep?

9 – Strengthens Your Willpower to Make Better Decisions Gratitude make you stronger and helps you achieve your goals (ref) and make smarter long term decisions (ref)

10 – Benefits you at all ages from adolescence to adulthood (ref)

IMPACT

11 – Makes you a better person. It makes us better, more altruistic, moral and ethical people (ref1 and ref2). We become more helpful and kind to others (ref)

12 – Makes others better people too: those we thank are more likely to become more ethical people too (ref1 and ref2)

13 – Makes the World a Better Place. When you express your gratitude to someone, that person will go on to be kinder to others (ref)

Don’t feel grateful? No worries! It’s accessible to anyone. Whether we’re sick or well, old or young, employed or unemployed, if our heart is beating, air is flowing in our lungs, and we have had a meal today, we have something to be grateful for. “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a Rather Large Amount of Gratitude” (A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh).

Practicing Gratitude

Here are some simple ways to strengthen your thanking muscle:

1) A powerful way scientists have found can increase your well-being is simply making daily gratitude lists. Write down 5 things you feel grateful for every day. This simple (and short!) act can significantly increase your happiness.

2) Another way you can boost your gratitude is by spending a few minutes out of your day devoted to gratitude. Below is a gratitude meditation I put together that you can download and try for yourself today.

3) And finally, here’s a video by Brother David Steindl-Ross I love that never fails to elicit gratitude.

Let me know how it works out for you and share your experience in the comment section below!

Gratitude Meditation

Another way you can boost your gratitude is by spending a few minutes out of your day devoted to gratitude. Here’s a gratitude meditation I put together that you can download and try for yourself today.

[Sciencepost]

13 Science-Backed Benefits of Gratitude + Free Guided Gratitude Meditation was last modified: July 2nd, 2020 by emmamseppala

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17 comments

Fernanda June 19, 2014 - 3:32 am

I loved the article, thank you so much for sharing the references and for taking the time to record the meditation 🙂 it was great!

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 3:22 am

Thanks Fernanda, glad you liked it:)

Reply
Lana June 20, 2014 - 11:51 pm

Thank you for this. It was difficult at first especially the part of accepting all the parts of your body. I just got diagnosed with breast cancer at age 37. I am scared but very hopeful. I needed this to make me feel reconciled with my body.
Thank you.

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 3:21 am

Dear Lana, thank you for sharing. I’m so glad this is helping. Sending you warm wishes for your healing and recovery. Take good care and keep taking good care! Emma

Reply
Dawn Stonebraker June 27, 2014 - 8:31 pm

This is my favorite meditation ever. Thank you for sharing it. I wish I could listen to it over and over again, so I never forget the lessons of gratitude.

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 3:20 am

You are more than welcome Dawn:)

Reply
Coach TMB August 1, 2014 - 6:14 pm

This article was great! It solidifies why having an attitude of gratitude is so important to me in my life. Thank you!

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 2:15 am

Glad you found it helpful:)

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 2:15 am

So glad you liked it:)

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. August 11, 2014 - 3:18 am

Thanks, wonderful to hear!

Reply
Scientist September 10, 2014 - 5:40 pm

I love that you cite. Thank you. So many people in your line of work don’t bother, and it limits trust.

Reply
Marie March 24, 2015 - 9:22 pm

I knew that gratitude is going to be difficult for me. I did no anticipate, that I am actually completely cut off from any feelings of gratitude. I thatt common?

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. January 13, 2016 - 2:01 pm

Keep at it, gratitude can be cultivated. Warmly, Emma

Reply
Robert Bartz August 25, 2015 - 11:43 pm

Hi,

Quick nerdy question, the article says we can download the meditation. But I can only seem to play it by using the soundcloud player on this webpage. I just ask since it’d be awesome to have on my iphone, I really like this one :).

Reply
Emma Seppala Ph.D. January 13, 2016 - 1:54 pm

Sure thing Robert, it sometimes depends on your browser/phone, can you try it a few different ways? It should download.

Reply
Bruce February 28, 2016 - 6:19 pm

Thanks!

Reply
Sue Walton June 15, 2019 - 8:05 pm

Always relaxing this meditation and the video i always think is nice. I have played both many a time.

Reply

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Yale School of Management
Stanford Center For Compassion And Altruism Research And Education.

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Psychologist, Author, International Keynote Speaker

Yale School of Management
Stanford Center For Compassion And Altruism Research And Education.

Popular Posts

  • Feeling Anxious? Breathing Is Most Helpful, New Yale/Harvard Studies Show

    July 30, 2020
  • Most of Us are Managing Our Emotions the Wrong Way. Here’s What To Do Instead.

    March 30, 2020
  • Social Connection Boosts Health. Even When You’re Isolated.

    March 23, 2020
  • Four Ways to Calm Your Mind in Stressful Times

    March 10, 2020
  • 18 Science-Based Reasons to Try Loving-Kindness Meditation Today!

    October 28, 2014
  • Benefits of Meditation: 10 Science-Based Reasons To Start Meditating Today INFOGRAPHIC

    October 17, 2013
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