7 Ways To Boost Your Health by Practicing Gratitude

Being intentional has farreaching benefits
For many of us the holidays mark the time of year where we celebrate all the things we sometimes take for granted. Whether we sit around the dinner table to give thanks or we silently take stock of the things that matter most to us these moments are defined by a deep sense of gratitude and that warm fuzzy feeling of togetherness.
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But gratitude isnt an act or a feeling that should be reserved for just a few special days out of the year. In fact psychologist Lauren Alexander PhD says its something we should strive to include in our daytoday lives yearround whether that be in our friendships our relationships our physical activities or even during the quiet moments we have time to ourselves.
When I talk about gratitude with patients I talk about actively and intentionally recognizing those things that make our lives better in some way says Dr. Alexander.
Here we share the many ways that gratitude can make a big difference in your physical and mental health as well as small things you can do every day to practice gratitude.
Health benefits of gratitude
Theres no downside when it comes to gratitude. Thats because we know theres a strong connection between our minds and our bodies.
Generally speaking when we maintain a positive mindset we can rely more intentionally on embracing healthy coping strategies building healthier habits and feeling better about ourselves. And all of these mental health benefits have a direct effect on our physical health.
There is research out there that practicing gratitude can help lower blood pressure help build a stronger immune system and even help with certain treatment outcomes adds Dr. Alexander.
Indeed when we have positive perceptions about our medical care were more likely to achieve our desired outcomes and recover more efficiently.
An example of that can be found in a systematic review of 19 studies involving nearly 3000 participants from 2005 to 2023. In that review researchers identified that gratitude not only promotes mental health and more sustainable healthy habits but it also improves cardiovascular outcomes. So what does that mean? Well a kinder heart is a healthier heart.
I talk about being intentional with people all the time because we sometimes live very mindlessly and were not always intentional