Wearing

— La'NA'

Would you have imagined that the manners you were instructed to learn as a child— expressed as thank you and you’re welcome—would one day become measures for good health?  Parents, while you may care about instilling proper manners in your children, you may not realize that expressing and experiencing gratitude can have a vital impact on their lives. However, two psychologists— Robert Emmons at the University of California at Davis, and Michael McCullough, at the University of Miami —have taken an interest in studying the benefits of such gratitude to the overall wellbeing of the body.

Most of us are aware that wearing a worried look—pouting with forehead wrinkled and eyes squinted—engraves extra lines around the lips, cheeks, temples and brows over time.  Clearly, those who remain calm and contented tend to relax their facial muscles, avoiding the creation of furrows.

In a 2003 experiment designed to evaluate the effects of gratitude, Emmons and McCullough directed one group of participants to keep gratitude journals each week, while another group was told to record hassles and neutral events.  The study concluded that those with gratitude journals reported fewer physical ailments, they maintained a more positive perspective regarding their lives as a whole, and they were more optimistic about the upcoming week in comparison with the “ungrateful” group.

Additionally, participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward significant goals relating to school, personal relationships, and health. They took better care of themselves. Rather than sitting around with a “why bother” attitude, they exercised, interacted with others, and, in general, took action.

The study further found that young adults who practiced a daily gratitude intervention (a self-guided exercise to reverse a negative feeling or thought) displayed higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to the group that either focused on problems or on the belief that they were better off than others.

Does state of mind really matter that much?

Apparently, the answer is yes.  When we think about someone or something we appreciate, we tend to experience the feeling that accompanies the thought.  Gratitude is, in fact, felt in the same regions of the brain that are activated by such feelings as awe and wonder. That is also where the brain produces the “feel good” chemicals, dopamine and serotonin.  With such positive feelings, our muscles relax, the tension in the face fades, and frowns become smiles.  And we already know that those who smile are  less likely to look older than their years.

Of course, we don’t have to show a wide grin for others to know whether we’re feeling alert, energetic and positive, as opposed to being dull, tired and negative.  Our eyes and body language expose far more than words.  Bright, open eyes express a desire to engage. Straight posture, rather than drooping shoulders and lowered head, invites conversation. And from any standpoint, looking up rather than down at one’s shoes is certainly more courteous and friendly.

Maintaining a grateful mental state additionally triggers a calming branch of the autonomic nervous system. When that trigger is repeated, the electromagnetic impulses deliver a protective effect on the heart. In fact, the electromagnetic heart patterns of volunteers tested became more coherent and ordered when they activated feelings of appreciation.

Feeling gratitude, in effect, fuels a cycle of wellbeing.  The more often we take time to appreciate as well as express care and compassion, the more order and coherence we experience internally.  At the same time, we place our hearts in a state of calm and order for longer periods.  When our hearts are in that state, we enjoy the capacity to be peaceful and calm, and to respond appropriately to stressful events.

Imagine if everyone responded more appropriately to stressful events.  We’d hear fewer horns honking in reaction to traffic jams, and the words thank you and you’re welcome would echo in stores, office buildings, and schools—and in emails! And smiles would replace expressions of disrespect and anger

Gratitude yields peace and happiness, inspiring actions and reactions that benefit our own health and wellbeing, while touching everyone around us in more positive ways. It softens the hard edges and eliminates wrinkles. It lightens the heart and prompts us to lose the extra pounds. It stimulates youthful smiles, which are returned and make us feel young at heart.

(more…)