More on Gratitude and Happiness Part 2
"Gratitude is the wine for the soul- go ahead get drunk." Rumi
Gratitude and happiness are synonymous. One of the simplest ways to improve your mental well-being is to practice gratitude.
Two decades ago, a landmark study led by the psychologist Robert A. Emmons sought to understand how people benefit from gratitude, a question that scientists had rarely explored until then.
Dr. Emmons’s findings — which suggested that gratitude may improve psychological well-being — inspired a spate of confirming additional research. “Gratitude heals, energizes and changes lives,” Dr. Emmons said. “It is the prism through which we view life in terms of gifts, givers, goodness and grace."
. Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. ( Ashley Smith, Gratitude- A Mental Health Game Changer )
She reports, “…. many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed….”
In one study, “one group wrote about things they were grateful for. A second group wrote about daily irritations, and the third wrote about events that had affected them. After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.”
“Studies have found that giving thanks and counting blessings can help people sleep better, lower stress and improve interpersonal relationships….”
“A large study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University showed that thankfulness predicted a significantly lower risk of major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, phobia, nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence and drug abuse…."
‘I think the benefits of gratitude activities truly unfold through long-term habits,” said Joel Wong, at Indiana University."
It’s not a one off, it has to be ingrained in daily routine to be truly effective. Add it to your daily prayer or meditation or when you turn on your iPad. But many experts believe that a small dose of gratitude, once a day, is ideal.
Multiple studies have shown that expressing gratitude to acquaintances, co-workers,
friends or romantic partners can offer a relationship “boost” and “helps bind us more closely,” said Sara Algoe, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina.
There are many samples of lists of gratitude prompts online (google "100 prompts for gratitude). Dr. Wong suggests writing a response. “The act of writing slows down our thinking process and allow us to ponder more deliberately”. He added, “By writing, we retain a permanent record of our blessings; we can return to our gratitude journaling months or years later to recall what we were grateful for.” (Google "13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises & Activities, positive psychology " )

Three Good Things
"Three Good Things" is a simple quick and popular gratification exercise, widely used in mental wellness workshops and therapy. You don’t need a therapist to practise this. You can do it NOW! Experiments have shown that people whole partake in the “three good things” exercise, see considerable improvements in depression and overall happiness, sometimes in as little as a couple weeks….” In another study, participants over 6 weeks, reduced burnout in the workplace, depression and increased well-being and happiness. This exercise trains our brains to savour the good that’s always around us, even during difficult times.
It’s this simple : Each day, share with a friend or loved one, or write down three things that you are grateful for.
It’s as simple as that! It works.

Note for Swan Lake residents who can’t google. Sona can provide hard copies of
1. Oxford University Happiness questionnaire
2. 13 Most Popular Gratitude are Exercises & Activities,
3 100 Gratitude Journal Prompts for Building a Grateful Life Every Day
For a moment of joy click this
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cso95I6pLFH/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==