Practicing gratitude could help you live longer, according to new study

Now more than ever, a message worth heeding:

“Gratitude is powerful: powerful for happiness, powerful for addressing at least more minor depressive symptoms, powerful for improving health, powerful for protecting against premature death — and it is something that anyone can do.” Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, senior study author, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dr. Phillip Watkins, psychology professor, Eastern Washington University, had this to say about the study findings:

“It’s not completely surprising to me, just given what we know on the health benefits of positive emotions more generally, that a person’s disposition for gratitude might actually even lengthen their life.”

Watkins pointed out:

“Research shows we have a lot more good stuff happen to us than bad stuff, but we very easily focus on the bad stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons gratitude … and being a grateful person is so important is because they help us have a more balanced view of life.”

CNN, 7/12/24