How Gratitude Rewires Your Brain; 'It Helps Us See Life Clearly, and Allows Us to Live It as God Intended, to Its Fullest'

John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander-BreakPoint : Apr 1, 2022
Christian Headlines

"...[This suggests] that the more practice you give your brain at feeling and expressing gratitude, the more it adapts to this mind-set…. a sort of gratitude 'muscle' that can be exercised and strengthened."

[ChristianHeadlines.com] ...In a culture that values authenticity and prioritizes feelings, telling someone to "be grateful" can sound a lot like cheap pop psychology, or even worse, a tone-deaf lack of empathy. However, plenty of studies suggest that being grateful is far more significant to our mental health and well-being that we may realize. "Time and again," writes British psychologist Christian Jarrett: "Studies have shown that performing simple gratitude exercises, like keeping a gratitude diary or writing letters of thanks, can bring a range of benefits."   (Image: Pixabay)

A large and growing body of studies shows that exercising gratitude leads to better sleep, improved interpersonal relationships, better stress and hormonal regulation, and even reduced physical pains. One notable study followed over 40 participants seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. Half were asked to write letters expressing gratitude before the first few counseling sessions, while the rest formed a control group who attended "therapy-as-usual." Three months later, both groups were asked to perform a generosity task while being measured by MRI.  

According to Jarrett : "The participants who'd completed the gratitude task months earlier not only reported feeling more gratefulness two weeks after the task than members of the control group, but also, months later, showed more gratitude-related brain activity in the scanner. The researchers described these 'profound' and 'long-lasting' neural effects as 'particularly noteworthy'"... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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