The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice | Episode 47
Main Takeaways
Practicing gratitude 1-3 times per week can have long-lasting positive effects on physical and mental health.
Many gratitude practices lack key components needed to reap the benefits.
Gratitude practice is a prosocial behavior that can help us be more effective in interactions with ourselves and others.
Our brains have the capacity for both happiness and defensive behavior.
Repeated and consistent gratitude practice can shift prosocial circuits to dominate the mindset.
Proper gratitude practice can enhance social relationships, increase resilience to trauma, and decrease inflammation.
The main neuromodulator associated with gratitude practice is serotonin.
Two major brain areas activated by gratitude are the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex.
Effective gratitude practice involves putting yourself in the mindset of another, directly receiving gratitude, and arousing the autonomic nervous system.
Reflecting on a story that resonates with you and returning to it repeatedly can create a physiological shift in heartbeat and breathing and cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude.
