Be Grateful
If you take time each day to jot down the reasons you’re grateful, you could see some pretty powerful results:
1. A positive charge – In a series of experiments detailed in a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the act of listing 3 to 5 things you’re thankful for every day in a gratitude journal improves your outlook.
2. Better sleep – Researchers also found that updating your gratitude journal at bedtime also helps you worry less, which in turn helps you get to sleep faster.
3. A big, big love – Journaling or expressing the ways you feel grateful for a loved is also linked to partners feeling more connected and satisfied in their relationships.
4. A boost to the immune systemThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study also linked journaling gratitude to better health. Gratitude breeds optimism and participants in the study exercised more regularly, decreasing their cortisol levels.Cortisol is a stress hormone, linked to our ability to fight off colds.