When I was younger I loved Thanksgiving because of the three “Fs”:  family, food, and football.  I still love these things, but over the years I have come to really appreciate Thanksgiving on a deeper level.  Personally, I have found that as I get older I am more aware of how much I have to be thankful for and how good it feels to think that way.  Professionally, the field of psychology echoes my experience with abundant recent research on gratitude demonstrating the power it holds to make us both happier and healthier.

Gratitude has been linked to less anxiety, depression, and higher life satisfaction.  In studying people who score highest on measures of happiness, researchers consistently find that happy people appreciate what they have.  Grateful people are less likely to experience feelings of resentment and envy, and even regret.  Grateful people also take better care of their health.  They exercise more and follow up on health care routines.  Gratefulness has also been linked to psychological well being, even in the face of trauma.  Having awareness for all the good things you have in life, even during hard times, helps foster resilience.

Gratefulness can be the silver lining of living through loss or tragedy.  Through suffering we realize how vulnerable we all are and awaken to actually how lucky we are most of the time.  We are presented with life’s complexity, simultaneously offering us both challenges and blessings.  Experiencing gratitude connects us to the people and world around us and strengthens our connections in the mutually of supportive community.  It takes our focus away from ourselves to a relationship with something outside our selves, whether it’s other people, nature, or a higher power.

You don’t have to be religious to cultivate gratitude.  In fact, the wonderful thing about gratitude is that it is a rather accessible tool in the well-being tool kit.  Studies show that people who kept a simple journal listing five things they were grateful for, done just once a week, had significant changes in their mood.  They reported feeling happier and more optimistic, and had fewer physical problems.  They even spent more time working out (wow!).  It makes sense that when taking the time to notice all the abundance in our lives, we can’t help but feel more valued by others and better about ourselves.  In turn, gratefulness causes us to be more empathic and pro-social in our interactions with others, which brings about more good feelings.

So, as we head into the time of year when we start making lists of presents to buy and thinking about things we want, it’s a good time to appreciate all that we already have.   Committing to an “attitude of gratitude” may be the best gift we could give ourselves that can last throughout the year.   It’s inexpensive, free of calories, and you can have as many helpings as you want without feeling ill!  (I wish I could say the same about family, food, and football).

Happy Thanks-giving.