The Happiness and Gratitude Connection

Want to be happy? Be grateful.

Although this is the time of the year where we are reminded to be grateful, this shouldn't be the only time of the year we focus on the things we're thankful for. Why? Because you can increase your happiness level by 25% just by practicing gratitude on a daily basis.

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a psychology profession at the University of California-Davis, carried out research with three experimental groups over 10 weeks.

• The "gratitude condition" group was asked to write down five things they were grateful for each week.
  
• The "hassles condition" group was asked to write down five daily hassles from the previous week.
• The "control condition" group was asked to list five events that had occurred in the last week - without telling them to focus on positive things or negative things.
  

Before the experiment began, participants kept daily journals to chronicle their moods, physical health, and attitude. After the experiment, people who were in the "gratitude condition" group felt 25% happier. Overall, they were more optimistic about the future, felt better about their lives, and they exercised almost one and a half hours more per week than those in the other groups.

We all have hassles. We all have bad things happen. Dwelling on all the hassles and bad things only make them worse. Change your thinking and you'll find that your stress level will go down and your happiness level will go up. What you grateful for today?

SHINE ON!