“Count your blessings” is an age-old bromide. But now, rigorous research confirms it: Practicing gratitude cures much of what ails us. It helps us feel more positive, cope better with adversity and even stay physically healthier. What’s more, it creates an upward spiral—more gratitude increases our satisfaction with life, and more satisfaction with life increases our gratitude.
Given these miraculous benefits, why aren’t we practicing gratitude 24-7?
In this seemingly endless swirl of dreadful world events, these messages to practice gratitude can feel like prescriptive pressure and may land with a thud on those of us who are languishing or in despair. One beleaguered woman put it this way: “I have a constant feeling of impending large-scale doom (the climate crisis, societal polarization, COVID), and as a parent of young kids and a daughter of aging parents, I feel that every moment is precious, and I must savor and be grateful for every single day. It’s an exhausting mindset!”
Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.