My Thanksgiving message was about the silver lining that I see in the recent financial troubles, that this is a time when being greedy and selfish is definitely not cool, whether you are a college student or CEO. That message reminded me that there is an interesting stream of research on gratitude in recent years. I know, it may sound flaky and new age, but this stuff is based on careful studies by skilled researchers, many of which are controlled experiments with random assignment to conditions. Two of the most active researchers here are Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, who edited a collection called The Psychology of Gratitude. Emmons also published Thanks more recently, a practical guide, which was just published in paperback.
The upshot of many of these studies is, regardless of your personality, you can become a healthier and happier person by simply devoting more time and energy to thinking about the good things in your life, the little things for which you are grateful. For example, A
series of intertwined experiments by Emmons and McCullough
examined “gratitude journals,” where research subjects wrote down at least five
things each day for which they were grateful.
This modest intervention had measurable effects. Emmons and McCullough found that people who kept such journals enjoyed
superior physical and mental health. Not
only were they happier than people who weren’t keeping gratitude journals, they
reported fewer physical health problems (e.g., stomach aches, headaches, sore
throats, skin problems), and sleeping more hours and waking up more refreshed
in the morning. And their spouses or
significant others reported that they were more upbeat, energized, and
satisfied with their lives.
What do you think? Am I being too mushy, or are the times ripe for gratitude and perhaps a little self-reflection?
The citation for this study is: Emmons,
R.A., & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens:
Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389
P.S. Check out John Lilly's related post, If This Isn't Nice, What Is?
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