We say these words all too often, frequently without thinking or
feeling. Most of us know that being grateful is something we
should be doing, but what if expressing gratitude actually
translates to improved health? Research is beginning to show
just how healthy this practice might be. Dr. Robert Emmons is
professor at the University of California-Davis, and one of the
leading scholars investigating the healthy benefits of
gratitude. He describes the first major studies of this subject
in his book Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You
Happier. Dr. Emmons’ research has found that grateful people can
increase their “set point” for happiness by as much as 25
percent, sustaining it for several months. The evidence for this
is groundbreaking. It contradicts the widely held notion that
people’s set points for happiness are fixed and unchanging. Not
only are these set points flexible, but some say gratitude has
done more for them than improve things by just a bit.
Individuals have gone so far as to say that