Research by Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California Davis, has described gratitude as the “forgotten factor” in happiness research. Keeping a gratitude journal (as recommended in The Mind Matters Manifestation Manual) can produce the following positive results.
- Relieve Stress: “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons said in a WebMD article. Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, vitality and life satisfaction and lower levels of depression and stress.
- Acquire a Sense of Emotional & Physical Well-Being: People who keep gratitude journals tend to exercise more, feel better physically and be happier and more optimistic about their lives in general.
- Achieve Your Goals: People who kept gratitude lists for two months were closer to reaching their personal goals than those who did not. Gratitude kept them more focused and positive.
- Positive Moods: Emmons found that a 21-day gratitude intervention produced more high-energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and quality.