Gratitude Makes Your Brain Happy

Gratitude actually changes your brain creating happiness which then leads to more success in all areas of life.

No kidding.

Gratitude and its practice is nothing new or new age woo-woo.

The practice of gratitude dates back to ancient philosophers and spiritual teachers including Cicero, Buddha, and Adam Smith to name a few.

Using fMRIs to scan brains during live activities scientists discovered that the areas of the brain that light up (become active) during the gratitude act are associated with socialization and pleasure.

You can see why relationships improve when someone comes from a place of and practice of gratitude.

And it doesn’t stop there. Neuroscientists also see activity in the area of the brain associated with learning and decision-making.

The best part is, those positive moments are not just moments. Those areas of the brain stay activate for hours after the gratitude happened.

The popular notion that neurons that fire together wire together confirms why practicing gratitude leads to expanding your gratitude practice.

The thing is that gratitude leads to physical and emotional health benefits in addition to what I already shared. Those include:

• Decreased Pain Levels
• Better Sleep
• Reduced Anxiety and depression
• Increased Energy and Vitality
• Increased Optimism
• Greater Goal Attainment
• Fewer Symptoms of Illness

For me, the benefit of the released feel good chemical dopamine allows me to feel grateful for every little thing in my life because the more I do it the better I feel and the more easily my life flows.

I’d say it feels like magic only I know that what I focus on expands. I know a good thing when I see it.

Ready to build your gratitude practice? Watch the video for details. Then share your gratitude steps with us. Hint: I started The Happy Share Movement based on the results I gained when I changed my own life patterns following two brain injuries.