What makes up gratitude?
Gratitude, like happiness or even love, is something that for many of us “just happens,” with or without much intent. If this is the case, why “ruin it” by examining its constituent parts or trying to predict what effect it will have on us or those around us?
Gratitude has been defined as a “felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life. Gratitude can be linked to oxytocin, “the cuddle chemical,” that through regular reinforcement binds us together in emotional intimacy. Sonya Lyubomirsky outlines seven factors linking gratitude to happiness:
improved mindfulness, heightened self-esteem, greater efficacy in managing stressors and trauma responses, closer behavioral alignment with personal values, more satisfying relationships, fewer social comparisons, lessening “negative emotions” like jealousy, anger, fear, sadness, and guilt.
What are you grateful for?
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