In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” This viewpoint is one that many share. It is especially discussed on and around Thanksgiving. The thankful mindset is, arguably, an additional reason to smile every day. When you realize the goodness all around you, your mood lightens up. What are some of the benefits of expressing gratitude? Read on to find out…

Some of the perks of being thankful/expressing gratitude–according to Amit Amin of happierhuman.com– are listed as follows:

1. “Gratitude makes us happier.” Amin adds, “A five-minute-a-day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent.”
2. “Gratitude makes us healthier. There is even reason to believe gratitude can extend your lifespan by a few months or even years.”
3. “Gratitude increases self esteem.”
4. “Gratitude increases sleep quality, reduces the time required to fall asleep, and increases sleep duration. Said differently, gratitude can help with insomnia.”
5. “Gratitude makes us less self-centered… This is because the very nature of gratitude is to focus on others” (on their acts of benevolence).

It’s simple to say that thankfulness is beneficial in our lives. When we give thanks, we feel better about our situations. We grasp onto the hope in knowing that we have things to be thankful for. Even if it’s something as simple as the sunset, a rainy evening, or a bright summer day, realizing the wonderfulness around us enables our joy levels to increase significantly.

“Develop an attitude of gratitude…” ~Brian Tracy.