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How does gratitude affect the brain?

How does gratitude affect the brain?

The practice of showing appreciation for others has the capacity to improve one’s own physical and mental health. Gratitude is a positive emotion derived from the recognition that one has benefited and/or been the recipient of benevolent intentions [1]. Gratitude is distinct from joy, and shows a unique signature in the brain [2]. Unlike the instant jolt of happiness triggered by an unexpected reward, gratitude involves conscious effort and needs to be cultivated over time.  

Gratitude involves focusing on the aspects of one’s life that provide value [1]. It centers on being present in the moment and attending to the positive. Studies indicate that the benefits may not be apparent immediately, but will occur after the practice has been cultivated over a period of time, and can be long-lasting [3].

Harnessing the practice of gratitude builds resiliency that protects against the negative health consequences of life’s stressors. Chronic stress can promote inflammation, which impairs brain and cardiovascular function. Individuals with a strong disposition toward gratitude were found to show lower incidences of inflammation in the context of socioeconomic stress [4], while individuals with heart disease that cultivated gratitude showed less inflammation and better vascular function [5]. Gratitude may dampen the negative effects of stress, in part, by improving sleep quality, as insomnia is the condition that shows the strongest evidence for benefit from gratitude practice [6]. Cardiovascular function and sleep quality are important determinants of brain health.

The practice of gratitude is fundamentally about building and deepening relationships [7]. It does so by fostering a sense of connectedness. While this traditionally refers to relationships with other people, it can also apply to the relationship with ourselves, and with the natural world. By focusing on what we value, be that spending time with a friend, the bloom of spring flowers, or our heath, we become more likely to engage in behaviors that cultivate these values. These behaviors are one of the mechanisms by which gratitude practice can confer resiliency in the brain. Engaging in prosocial behavior strengthens social bonds, which can provide for a stronger social support network during times of need, and reduce bouts of loneliness [8]. Individuals with a strong capacity for gratitude are more likely to engage in brain healthy behaviors such as exercising and eating a healthy diet [9].

The neural signature of gratitude involves brain regions that are important for social information processing and emotional regulation [10]. Over time, gratitude practice can alter this brain circuit in a manner that dampens the impact of negative emotions [3]. In this way, gratitude builds emotional resilience, and can act as a buffer against anxiety and depression. A key feature of the experience of gratitude involves the discernment of a benevolent intention [2]. This means that the recipient needs to believe that the giver was acting out of a sense of genuine goodwill, rather than from a sense of obligation or pity. This is a primary reason why the feeling of gratitude must come from within and cannot be forced.

Engaging in a gratitude practice is unlikely to lead to a positive outcome if it is forced or comparative. This occurs when the practice is driven by an external agent rather than from within, such as when one person tells another person that he or she should be grateful for something particular, as this may induce feelings of guilt or shame. Gratitude practice can veer into the realm of toxic positivity if it becomes comparative, in which someone focuses on how something they view as negative could be worse. This is not a true gratitude practice, but rather is an attempt to minimize one’s own suffering, which can lead to negative health outcomes by preventing someone from seeking the help and resources he or she needs.

There are many ways to engage in a beneficial practice of gratitude. These include, but are not limited to, meditative reflection, gratitude journaling, and writing to someone for whom you feel grateful [1]. Due to the personal nature of gratitude, individuals need to determine which type of practice works best for them. A healthy gratitude practice allows one to fully acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects of one’s life. It is by cultivating the positive aspects that one builds the resiliency to better cope with the negative aspects, leading to an improvement in brain health and overall quality of life.

  1. Sansone RA, Sansone LA (2010) Gratitude and well being: the benefits of appreciation. Psychiatry (Edgmont) 7, 18-22.
  2. Liu G, Cui Z, Yu H et al. (2020) Neural responses to intention and benefit appraisal are critical in distinguishing gratitude and joy. Scientific Reports 10, 7864.
  3. Kini P, Wong J, McInnis S et al. (2016) The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity. NeuroImage 128, 1-10.
  4. Hartanto A, Lee STH, Yong JC (2019) Dispositional Gratitude Moderates the Association between Socioeconomic Status and Interleukin-6. Scientific Reports 9, 802.
  5. Cousin L, Redwine L, Bricker C et al. (2021) Effect of gratitude on cardiovascular health outcomes: a state-of-the-science review. The Journal of Positive Psychology 16, 348-355.
  6. Boggiss AL, Consedine NS, Brenton-Peters JM et al. (2020) A systematic review of gratitude interventions: Effects on physical health and health behaviors. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 135, 110165.
  7. Bartlett MY, Condon P, Cruz J et al. (2012) Gratitude: Prompting behaviours that build relationships. Cognition and Emotion 26, 2-13.
  8. Balconi M, Fronda G (2021) Gratitude Affects Inter-Subjective Synchronicity for Cognitive Performance and Autonomic Responsiveness. Front Psychol 12.
  9. Fritz MM, Armenta CN, Walsh LC et al. (2019) Gratitude facilitates healthy eating behavior in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 81, 4-14.
  10. Liu G, Zeng G, Wang F et al. (2018) Praising others differently: neuroanatomical correlates to individual differences in trait gratitude and elevation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 13, 1225-1234.

Betsy Mills, PhD, is a member of the ADDF's Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention program. She critically evaluates the scientific evidence regarding prospective therapies to promote brain health and/or prevent Alzheimer's disease, and contributes to CognitiveVitality.org. Dr. Mills came to the ADDF from the University of Michigan, where she served as the grant writing manager for a clinical laboratory specializing in neuroautoimmune diseases. She also completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, where she worked to uncover genes that could promote retina regeneration. She earned her doctorate in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she studied the role of glial cells in the optic nerve, and their contribution to neurodegeneration in glaucoma. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biology from the College of the Holy Cross. Dr. Mills has a strong passion for community outreach, and has served as program presenter with the Michigan Great Lakes Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association to promote dementia awareness.

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