The gratitude It is an emotion that we experience when we are aware of having received something valuable. As such, leads us to recognize and appreciate others and the good things we have in our lives. And although it was always more circumscribed mainly to philosophy, little by little it began to be considered as an object of study both from a wide spectrum of positive psychology —a field of psychology that focuses on the study of positive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors— as from a neuroscientific perspective. In this sense, there are more and more investigations that tell us about their mental and physical health benefits, relationship with others and quality of life in general. Here we tell you about some of them.
Gratitude, “not only the greatest of virtues but the mother of all others” —Cicero would say—, is understood in philosophy as a virtue or moral quality that involves recognizing and appreciating the gifts and blessings we receive. Some philosophers argue that It is essential to live a full and happy life., since it helps us to recognize and appreciate what we have and connects us with others; and others hold that helps us live more justly and equitablysince it forces us to recognize that we depend on others and that we have a responsibility to be grateful for their actions and gifts.
For the Bible, it is an attitude of recognition and gratitude towards God and towards others for the blessings and good things we receive. “Give thanks to God in any situation, for this is what God wants from you as believers in Christ Jesus,” states 1 Thessalonians 5:18. While for evolutionists, being grateful is a primary skill, an evolutionary advantage that helped us survive as a species, to create social bonds.
Finally, for psychology, gratitude is that positive affective state resulting from having perceived that one has been benefited from something or someone in a disinterested way, solidarity and free; It is associated —but not equivalent— to more studied constructs such as optimism, hope, vitality, empathy, life satisfaction, and happiness.
And it depends on the approach we take, the benefits we find. For example, many studies find that people who practice gratitude report consistent benefits ranging from emotional resilience and improved physical health, until having a positive impact on professional development and dealing with others.
The UCLA Center for Integrative Care Awareness Research explains that it literally changes the molecular structure of the brain, keeps gray matter working and makes us feel healthier and happier. While other studies have found that giving thanks and counting blessings can help people sleep better, reduce stress, increase academic motivation, reduce the risk of heart disease Y reduce symptoms of depression in some people. In early 2018, moreover, a study found that keeping a gratitude journal decreased materialism and strengthened generosity among adolescents.
On the affective level, a study published in Personal Relationships proved that it is a fundamental aspect of relationships. Expressing gratitude, they explain, is the most important predictor of stability and well-being, which dampens other not so positive aspects of the relationship and gives greater strength to the bond. Couples in which gestures of gratitude are frequent are less likely to break up.
Last but not least, neuroscience also made its contributions by explaining than happens in the brain when we feel gratitude. in dialogue with BBC World, Manuel Vazquez-Marrufoprofessor at the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Seville, points out that, on the one hand, neuroimaging studies address gratitude from the point of view of brain reward system, which helps us to identify what we like, to motivate ourselves and to recognize positive aspects of our environment; and from the mentalization, the mental processes of how we perceive our life.
“Those are the fundamental elements to nurture a structure that will decide if a stimulus makes us be in a state of gratitude,” he maintains. It’s about the anterior cingulate cortex in its perigenual region. “The connectivity of that area with the structures related to reinforcement and mentalization is what makes us experience the feeling of gratitude. It seems that this is the region of the brain where that feeling occurs,” he concludes.
“The reward produces a positive reinforcement and then, through the evocation of memory, it motivates him to make certain decisions that influence his behavior,” adds the psychiatrist dory thickprofessor at the University of Barcelona.
Yet despite the abundant research on the benefits of expressing gratitude, there is also evidence that it is not for everyone. If this is not your case, how do you practice gratitude? The psychologist Mario Arrimadagraduated in Psychology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, He says that when it is directed towards people, it is articulated mainly towards assertiveness and honest communication: “This usually happens by putting aside personal differences, formalities or other aspects that usually interfere with direct communication, and leaving the comfort zone expressing our feelings about an action that we liked. We have to open up and show part of our vulnerabilities, tastes, sensibilities, etc.“.
And he adds that we can also learn to apply it to more abstract aspects of life that make us feel good“showing full attention to the present moment, focusing on every detail perceived by the five senses and trying to enjoy that moment, putting aside the melancholy for moments of the past that cause us sadness and also the moments of the future that cause us feelings restlessness and nervousness in the face of uncertainty.
