Just recently, physicians interviewed by Hearst newspapers said they routinely recommend gratitude practices because they help interrupt rumination — the cycle of replaying worries, complaints and negative thoughts that fuels anxiety. Yale psychiatrist Yann Poncin explained that gratitude is most effective when practiced consistently rather than occasionally, while psychiatrist Joseph Podolski described using a nightly gratitude ritual with his family because it shifted everyone’s attention from problems to what was going right.

Sixty-four studies concluded that gratitude interventions — including journals, letters and intentional reflection — produced measurable improvements in life satisfaction, mental health and anxiety while increasing positive emotions and optimism.  We use gratitude training in our NYU music business mental health classes to help musicians focus on positive practices.

In other words, it’s not just psychobabble – there are real measurable health benefits.  Last year, researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported one of the strongest findings yet: older adults who scored higher on measures of gratitude had a significantly lower risk of dying over the following four years, even after accounting for health, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors.

“Gratitude empowers us to take charge of our emotional lives and, as a consequence, our bodies reap the benefits.” — Robert A. Emmons, The Little Book of Gratitude

Thanks for sharing DayStarters