Practice gratitude to be happier: Science says so

Practice gratitude to be happier: Science says so

There is a ritual It will take no more than 5 minutes Which, according to science, has the potential to make you happier and healthier.

in his book 3 how a day (Ed. Marabout), Florence Serfan Schreiberauthor and teacher humanistic psychologyIt reveals some tricks for gaining positivity in everyday life. According to studies Sonya Lyubomirsky Professor of Positive Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of a book How happiness – We can even influence our happiness 40% through our behavior And how do we look at the events, while the remaining 60% are divided as follows: 50% is hereditarybased on the length of the 5HTT (melatonin transporter) gene, for example 10% are external factors Like the sun or leisure. For this, it is wrong not to engage in this intention: “New habits, new practices, discussions with oneself and reflection are our way of feeling and amplifying what makes us feel good,” says the author. Of these, gratitude appears to be the most powerful tool.

Gratitude as a (simple) tool for being happy

Expressing gratitude means acknowledging What do you want to celebrate in your lifeIt’s easier than you think: According to science, by naming three things each day (“moments, situations, sensations, thoughts or moments”) that you’re grateful for, you’ll live longer and more satisfied. This ritual, which doesn’t take More than 5 minutes, give a new flavor to your life Florence Serfan Schreiber, “We deprive ourselves of half of the positive experience if we don’t take the time to celebrate it. Gratitude is also about allowing us to savor what happens, not taking everything for granted or normal and realizing the intensity of the present”. Another advantage highlighted in the book is that “Gratitude frees us from envy: acknowledging what I have relieves me of wanting something elseGrateful people are said to be more dynamic, more confident, more empathetic and less materialistic. Gratitude is also an antidote to depression, jealousy, anxiety, neurosis and even illness. And this is in the long run. According to a psychologist Robert Emmonsperhaps the leading expert on gratitude In the international scientific panorama dealt with by Florence Servan-Schreiber: This feeling is divided into two sequences:

1. “Acknowledging the good in our lives” and thus recognizing that life is worth living
2. “The source exists, at least in part, outside of us (through the intervention of an outside person or element)”

This binomial gives gratitude all its power: “By experiencing it, we recognize and acknowledge our humanity We wouldn’t be comfortable where we are without the intervention of others or an unseen force. Moreover, thanks to a deep conviction in the existence of good, life’s adversities are easier to overcome.

How do we do then? The author suggests two approaches recommended by science:

1. Write note out of gratitudeAccording to your own rules. The author, for example, decided to put a notebook on her bedside table and mark moments of gratitude in the form of a list and short sentences whenever she wanted or felt the need to. Then he reads it from time to time. As a reward, this accessible writing exercise promises to increase self-confidence, simply by being aware of what we accomplish and what others do for us.
2. write one Thank you letter to someone. Scientists agree that whether you send it or not, this exercise releases emotions and helps us understand how important a person is to us.

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This article was originally published in French Vogue