The Neurological Benefits of Gratitude
I call it ‘journaling’ because it sounds better than ‘keeping a diary’. I use a leather bound book & a fountain pen to feel more like Indiana Jones & less like Bridget Jones.
…but according to modern science, I’ve been doing a portion of it wrong for quite some time.
Specifically, in my attempts to incorporate mindfulness & gratitude practice in my daily routine I haven’t been as effective as I might have been. Perhaps you’ve been making the same mistake I have?
Age-old wisdom has told us saying ‘thank you’ is important. Now current academic studies confirm that gratitude practice has significant power…
The Science of Thankfulness
Thankfulness has the ability to:
Repair & inoculate against the neurological impacts of trauma
(Studies Linked)
Practicing gratitude does so much more than train us to ‘feel better’. It can actually ‘make us better’ – physically, emotionally, spiritually.
But how do we glean the most benefit out of gratitude as a practice?
For the past few years, I’ve added several bullets each day to my journal; trying to practice being grateful for the things in my life. It usually looks something like this:
My wife & kids
Great neighbors
A solid medium-rare steak
But am I doing it right?
In his recent podcast The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice | Huberman Lab Podcast #47, Dr Andrew Huberman challenges this common practice; instead providing a much more effective protocol for leveraging the physical, emotional & spiritual benefits of thankfulness.
The critical difference he prescribes? Gratefulness needs to be grounded in a story!
In the 2017 study linked above on fear & anxiety, researchers had participants listen to a story, a cohesive narrative, about humans expressing gratitude to each other. As they listened, their heart rates dropped & the portions of the brain that control anxiety & fear began to regulate.
This regulation then led to a host of other physical changes that improved the overall health of the participants.
While it’s a good thing to be grateful for great weather, your puppy, and tacos… it’s the mental participation in a story of interpersonal gratitude that yields the most benefits neurologically. (see time stamp 00:40:00)
A Better Way
So what is a better way to practice gratitude according to Dr. Huberman?
Think of an instance when someone effectively expressed gratitude to you.
Or, think of a time where you saw one person expressing gratitude to another.
Write out 3-4 bullet points about that story. This creates a memory cue.
Think about the state of the people prior to their interaction. What changed?
Review bullet points, remembering the story, for 1-5 minutes reflecting on the experience.
Repeat ~3x per week, any time of day.
Inspiring Gratitude Stories
Looking for direction on choosing a story? Here are a few suggestions:
Watch this video of Sir Nicholas Winton (watch until 0:58)
Enjoy this scene from s2e4 of the Chosen (the whole episode is great)
But avoid interactions like this one… (sorry, couldn’t help myself)
Whether it’s an example of someone thanking us personally, or our participation in the gratitude expressed from one person to another, grounding our gratitude practice in a story is critical to enjoying the significant benefits that gratitude has to offer.
One additional insight gleaned from the study referenced above: despite not being in the same physical location, it was noted that patients’ heart rates began to sync with each other as they engaged with a specific story of gratitude.
Individual hearts beat to the same grateful tune!
Which story are our hearts attuned to?
So we close with one last thought to consider in our practice. We should be intentional with what stories we engage with.
The story we enter into, quite literally, determines Who’s heart we are beating along with.
When looking for a narrative to be grateful for, there’s one that’s given hope to billions for the last two millennia.
God Bless –
Matt Price