Four Ways to Wire Your Brain for Gratitude

Gratitude can have a lasting impact on your well-being. Here's how to foster it all day long.

zakalinka/Adobe Stock

There are many different ways to express gratitude—be it a quick thanks, a heartfelt card, or maybe a favor in return. No matter how you express it, being mindful of the moments when you feel gratitude can rewire your brain for the better. Research has found that simply feeling grateful, even if you don’t necessarily share those feelings with anyone, can boost your mental health in the long run and have lasting effects on the brain.  Furthermore, expressing and accepting gratitude from others can strengthen you relationship and your overall sense of well-being.

Here are four ways to train your brain to practice more gratitude:

1. Take time to notice what’s around you

Practicing mindfulness helps you tune in to the present moment. It is possible that if you are a grateful person, you are more mindful of others’ gestures. The more often you tune into your awareness, the greater the chances you will notice all the good that’s around you to feel gratitude for, which can then bring satisfaction and happiness.   Our ability to pick up on the beauty of nature, kindness from one another, the chance to make a…