♪ ♪ Research shows that adopting an attitude of gratitude — simply expressing appreciation and being more thankful — can measurably improve your overall well-being.

For example, studies prove that gratitude can increase happiness, reduce depression and strengthen resiliency.

Grateful people often experience reduced blood pressure, less chronic pain, increase energy, even longer lives.

People who purposefully express more gratitude report higher self-esteem than those who don’t and they’re more likely to help others — a pro-social behavior also linked to greater happiness.

People who capture grateful thoughts before bed sleep better than those who don’t. Why so many positive changes? Because gratitude actually rewires our brains; kickstarting the production of dopamine and serotonin.

Like antidepressants, these feel-good neurotransmitters activate the bliss center of the brain, creating feelings of happiness and contentment. This appears to be self-perpetuating.

Research suggests that with regular practice you’ll train your prefrontal cortex to better appreciate and retain positive experiences and thoughts and to deflect the negative ones.

Here are a few simple ways to deliberately cultivate that attitude of gratitude.

Celebrate minor accomplishments.

Think about what you have rather than dwelling on what you don’t.

Tell the people in your life something you appreciate about them. Tell yourself too.

Volunteer.

Hold a door for a stranger or simply smile more and you’ll probably feel better as kindness and giving are connected to gratitude.

Similar positive brain changes can occur from regular meditation and mindfulness.

Keep a daily gratitude journal using an old-fashioned notebook or a high-tech app.

The science is clear.

Give gratitude a go, you’ll be thankful you did! ♪ ♪