If you have been paying attention to any sort of media over recent weeks, you’d think that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket. It seems the only news is bad news, all doom and gloom. And as a nation, we appear increasingly short tempered and divided.
However, by many metrics, there has never been a better time to live than now. A time of relative abundance and comparative safety. Technological advances and advances in healthcare (current pandemic aside) means that what ails us the most is ‘lifestyle related diseases’ rather than the many hardships our ancestors faced. That’s not to say we are without problems. Indeed, they are many and varied. But now it truly is a great time to be an inhabitant of earth.
So, while there might be much to be grateful for, at least anecdotally, gratitude levels are at a low eb for many of us. And that’s a real issue, because research suggests that being grateful is actually really good for us. The benefits of gratitude include:
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
- Reduced aggression
- Better sleep
- Improved self esteem
- Increased likelihood of being successful
- Greater mental strength
- Greater levels of happiness
This research out of Harvard offers suggestions on how to increase your gratitude. Put simply, you can be happier, healthier and more successful just by being more grateful. What are you grateful for?