Gratitude has more impact on our lives than we think. In this article we will see what positive psychology tells us about the habit of being grateful .

Psychology of Gratitude: Thanksgiving

Each year, on different dates, the United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving, originally known as Thanksgiving. Americans celebrate it on the last Thursday in November, while on Canadian soil, it is celebrated on the second Monday in October.

It originated in Plymouth in 1621, when a group of pilgrims shared their autumn harvest with the Wampanoag Indians, in gratitude for having taught them farming and hunting techniques . That celebration of harmony and appreciation between pilgrims and Native Americans lasted three days.

Several years later, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that distant event a national holiday in 1863, to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. However, it was not until 1941 that the U.S. Congress officially established it, under President Franklin Roosevelt.

To this day, this tradition consists of gathering as a family at the table and eating a turkey roasted or baked, which is the main dish; in addition, salads, bread and cakes serve as accompaniments. That evening, households enjoy a special moment when each member shares his or her blessings and gives thanks.

A new meaning to being grateful

According to the ethical and philosophical vision, gratitude is defined as a moral virtue that denotes good behaviour (McCullogh, Kilpatrick, Emmons and Larson, 2001); since it is a feeling of esteem that leads us to reciprocate the benefit that has been done or wanted to be done to us, according to the Royal Spanish Academy. However, gratitude produces in us more than just wanting to reciprocate a good deed.

Positive psychology, which scientifically studies everything that provides psychological well-being, began research on the effects of gratitude in the late 1990s , through Robert Emmons of the University of California and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami.

This study consisted of three groups of people, randomly assigned, with the indication of keeping a weekly diary. The first group would have to write in their diary the things they were grateful for; the second group would write down everything that made them angry; while the third group would focus on neutral events. After ten weeks, the results revealed that the people who wrote only thanks were healthier than the rest of the participants.

Northrup (2012), says that when we find something to be grateful for, no matter how small, and maintain that feeling of gratitude for 15 to 20 seconds, our body experiences several subtle and beneficial physiological changes , for example: decreased stress levels and strengthening of the immune system; improved blood flow; heart rate is harmonized and breathing becomes deeper, thus increasing the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

Developing gratitude requires will and discipline, like any other activity, so continuous practice produces physical and emotional benefits. In that way, grateful people could see the positive even in moments of suffering, valuing these elements to integrate them into their existence.

Thus, gratitude implies a balanced view of the positive and negative aspects of the experience (Moyano, 2011). In the face of life’s circumstances, a response of gratitude can be an adaptive psychological strategy, that is, an ability to adapt to such circumstances, as well as an important development for the person to interpret his or her daily experiences positively (McCullough and Emmons, 2003).

How to cultivate gratitude

You can start by spending a few minutes before going to sleep , to think about everything that happened to you during the day for which you can be grateful, perhaps for that meeting with your friends, for having that coat that protects you from the cold when you leave the house, for the message that put you in a good mood, for the family, for having yourself alive and healthy.

Because of all those experiences and decisions that led you to this moment; because even from bad experiences you learn, you acquire maturity, they strengthen your character and prepare you to make better decisions tomorrow. You can do this practice as often as you wish, until it becomes part of you to identify the blessings around you.

Authentic and sincere gratitude opens the door to better health, as well as fostering good relationships with yourself and others. So, beyond the second Monday in October or the last Thursday in November, make every day a day of thanksgiving.

Bibliographic references:

  • McCullough, M. and Emmons, R. (2003). Grateful moods to individual’s differences and daily emotional experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 377-389.
  • McCullough, M.; Kilpatrick, S.; Emmons, R. & Larson, D. (2001). Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin, 127, 249-266.
  • Moyano N. (2011). Gratitude in positive psychology. Psychodebate, 10, 103-117.
  • Northrup C. (2012). Woman’s body, woman’s wisdom (Personal growth). Retrieved November 15, 2018 from: http://offermaxs.com/download/e/ book.php?asin=8479537485
  • Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (2017). Spanish Language Dictionary. Madrid: RAE.
  • Valencia, J. (2016). Origins of positive psychology and the scientific study of gratitude. Psychology, 101-117.