The power of giving thanks

You know that showing gratitude helps you focus on the good in life, but research in the Journal of Happiness Studies suggests it also bolsters mental health in the longterm. In the study, one group of subjects wrote in gratitude journals, thanked others and looked for silver linings every day for six weeks; others were told to do five good things for themselves each week, like give themselves a compliment. The findings: 74% more people in the gratitude group reported feeling happy, compared to those in the “good things” group—and the positive effects lasted up to six months. According to the researchers, that’s because gratitude helps us appreciate the little things and notice sources of abundance in our lives.