The Power of Gratitude in Good Times and in Bad

"From Cicero to Chesterton, influential thinkers across Roman, Christian, and contemporary traditions have extolled the virtue of gratitude. Robert Emmons, the world's leading expert on gratitude, defines it as "an affirmation of the good and the recognition that the good originates outside the self." Along with eminent researcher Michael McCullough, Emmons developed "counting one's blessings," one of the most well-supported interventions in positive psychology. This powerful and popular exercise has been shown to boost well-being by decreasing depression and increasing happiness."

"Practicing gratitude shifts our attention from what we lack to what we have in life. As a result, we feel happier, experience an upward spiral of positive outcomes, and, in turn, become even more grateful. It's like compound interest for the soul! Gratitude is correlated with overall well-being and, as Emmons's decades of research show, provides a bevy of benefits. Feeling grateful decreases negative affect and increases overall optimism. As he writes in Thanks, "gratitude blocks toxic emotions, such as envy, resentment, regret-emotions that can destroy our happiness." Grateful people achieve more, experience greater work satisfaction, and get along better with others. They are also less depressed, more resilient, and tend to "pay it forward.""

Gratitude affirms the good and recognizes that the good often originates outside the self. Counting blessings is an evidence-based exercise that increases happiness and reduces depression. Practicing gratitude redirects attention from lacks to existing assets, creating an upward spiral of positive outcomes and sustained gratefulness. Gratitude correlates with greater optimism, reduced negative emotions, and blocking of toxic feelings like envy, resentment, and regret. Grateful individuals show higher achievement, improved work satisfaction, better social relationships, greater resilience, and a tendency to pay benefits forward. Children high in gratitude tend to earn better grades and enjoy enhanced life outcomes.

Read at Psychology Today