Change Your Brain with Gratitude

There's been a lot of talk about gratitude and its effects on our mental health, our relationships and even our physical health. But the truth is, having a grateful disposition doesn't come easily to everyone. Some of us are just hard-wired for gratitude while others have a hard time seeing the positive in life and tend to look at their daily glass as half empty. If you struggle with the concept of practicing gratitude, there are some simple things you can do to not only feel better but to also re-wire your brain for positivity over time.

The Science

If you're not convinced that gratitude can change your brain, research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has found that practicing gratitude activates brain regions associated with reward, empathy and emotional processing, including the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex.

Activities such as keeping a gratitude journal, writing letters of thanks or even expressing thanks via social media or text can stimulate the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in generating positive emotions. Over time, this heightened activation actually strengthens neural pathways related to positive thinking and emotional regulation.

The anterior cingulate cortex plays a crucial role in processing emotions and regulating social interactions. Imaging found that gratitude exercises activate this area of brain, resulting in improved social cognition, empathy, and the ability to perceive others' perspectives. It makes sense that these enhanced abilities would naturally strengthen our interpersonal relationships.

The More You Do, the Easier it Gets

Incorporating gratitude practices into daily life activates neural changes by strengthening existing connections and forming new ones. This process, known as experience-dependent neuroplasticity, reinforces positive thought patterns. Remember, the brain is the organ that learns, so it's designed to be changed by all of our unique experiences. In essence, whatever we repeatedly do, feel, want and think is slowly shaping our neural structure.

Letters are Good

Interestingly, a recent randomized controlled experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, found that writing a gratitude letter may be more beneficial than keeping a gratitude journal. After studying 958 adults, they found that participants who wrote a letter of gratitude to a person rather than keeping track of their daily feelings about gratitude felt more positive emotions, satisfaction with life and connectedness with others.

Texting May Be Even Better

The same researchers did a second study where they asked 900+ undergrads to write gratitude letters, send a thank-you text or express gratitude publicly in the form of social media. Believe it or not, texting a thank-you had a slight edge over writing a letter or sending a public post. While all three forms of expressing gratitude helped improve overall well-being and resulted in "making students feel happier and more satisfied with their lives," those assigned to text their thanks directly reported the biggest boosts in feelings of social connection and support.

Regardless of how you choose to practice gratitude, the science tells us that doing so on a regular basis will not only help us feel happier and more connected but will also help us view the world through a more positive lens.