'Tis the season of giving and holding hands around elegantly set tables, sharing sentiments of gratitude. Expressing thanks for family, friends, and thoughtful gifts is much more powerful than we are led to believe. Giving stimulates the reward centers of the brain, causing feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Gratitude is not only an emotion but also a virtue, attitude, and coping mechanism. The beauty of gratitude lies in its presence during both subjectively good times and bad. Even during the most complicated and heavy moments, gratitude can be chosen.
The habits of gratitude and giving can be utilized to stimulate positive shifts in our brains and bodies, having instant and long-term impacts on health and well-being. When practicing or experiencing gratitude and giving, neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and norepinephrine are released. These "happy hormones" play a fundamental role in regulating our emotions, nervous system, and stress response.
Studies examining the effects of consistent gratitude practice show fascinating impacts on physical, mental, and emotional health. In one study, a gratitude intervention group was tasked with writing daily gratitude lists for fourteen days, while two control groups were instructed to write a daily list of negative or neutral events. Outcomes showed that the gratitude intervention increased subjective happiness, positive demeanor, life satisfaction, and reduced negative mood, depression, pain, while also improving immunity, heart health, and brain function. Giving is a mechanism for humans to value actions that don’t directly benefit themselves but rather another person. This maintains basic human needs such as social relationships, love, safety, and belonging. In addition, a single act of giving can boost oxytocin levels for three to four minutes.
The intention of gratitude is not to pretend everything is perfect but to develop a thankful spirit for what and who is already present, the experiences we’ve had, and the memories we cherish. When gratitude is expressed, it interrupts negative thought patterns, helping to avoid pessimism, stress, anxiety, unhappiness, complaints, pain, loneliness, and fear. Giving is not exclusive to purchasing the best gift or making charitable donations. True giving can be an expression of gratitude, a small act of service, volunteering, or making a positive impact on the world.
There are several ways to incorporate gratitude and giving into everyday life. Gratitude lists are a widely popular technique. Simple things such as expressing appreciation to someone in a text or smiling when you think of a treasured memory can all increase gratitude. While contemplating where gratitude is present, look for it in the little things: the smell and taste of morning coffee, no traffic on the commute to work, the sights of nature, and even the breaths we take are all favorable examples. Giving can be a two-way street, meaning we give to others but also back to ourselves. We give so much to others already; focusing on self-care, nourishment, rest, boundaries, and hobbies for ourselves produces the same physical and mental well-being effects as giving to others, including the added bonus of improved self-esteem. When in the midst of stressful seasons and moments of doubt or joy, gratitude is the emotion that will always fit, and giving will never go out of style.
"The beauty of gratitude lies in its presence during both subjectively good times and bad."