With Thanksgiving around the corner here in the US (or behind the corner for Canada) now is a popular time to reflect on our lives and what we are most grateful for. While many express gratitude as part of family or holiday traditions did you know this display of positivity can actually help you live longer?
In addition to the studies that say showing gratitude makes us happier, a number of studies that followed participants over many years- demonstrated that happiness does indeed correlate with living longer.
The Science…
An analysis, by Chida and Steptoe (2008), revealed that a lower mortality rate is found among individuals who demonstrated positivity in the form of humor, optimism, energy, joy, and others. This was true even for certain sick individuals.
Another study conducted that analyzed the lives of 180 nuns found similar results. Each nun was given a positivity score based upon the amount of happiness portrayed in the essay she wrote when entering service in the order.
A strong correlation was determined between the positivity scores and the length of life.
The results found that a large percentage of the happiest nuns lived past 85 years old, while only a small percentage of the least happy nuns reached the age of 85.
Okay, so being happier overall can increase my likelihood of living a long life. But how do I become happier?
Finding opportunities to express gratitude, practice affirmations, live in the present moment, and feel the uplifting effects of nature, are all good ways to start. A study done at Loyola University Chicago found that taking a “savoring walk” can show an increase in overall happiness.
This demonstrates that taking time to “stop and smell the roses” really is invaluable.
“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
Russel M. Nelson
Gratitude is a powerful way to redirect our focus to the abundance of good in our lives. If you want to practice more gratitude, be more positive, and live longer, I recommend practicing simple “I am grateful for…” affirmations.
If you want to record your own gratitude affirmations and meditate to them with peaceful background sounds, the Seflpause app is a great place to start.
