There are all sorts of reasons that you are prompted to tell someone thanks—you receive a gift, someone does a kindness that you didn’t expect. But showing gratitude is more than just good manners; exhibiting gratitude can actually do good things for your health.
For starters, there’s willpower: You’ll have more of it and be more thoughtful in your decision making. You’ll cement your relationships, too—counteracting loneliness, mitigating aggressiveness, boosting compassion. You’ll also feel better, with impact that extends to your immunity. More gratefulness also means that you’ll fall asleep faster and stay asleep with fewer disruptions.
There are ways—journaling, challenges to name just two—to boost gratitude, and this graphic can help.
