Gratitude is Healthy

What is one thing you can do to be more productive and feel good? Give thanks.
Photo: Nicole Pasia

Feel Good

Sarah Kopelovich, UW Medicine faculty member, published a study on gratitude that showed that expressing gratitude improves your health, helps with better sleep, and contributes to an overall positive feeling of well-being. It can also help with stress reduction and make you feel more satisfied with your life!

Practice Gratitude

It does take some effort to be regularly thankful. Robert Emmons, gratitude researcher, has lots of tips, including:

  • Keep a gratitude journal. Write down something you are thankful for every day.
  • Remember the bad. Sometimes it can be helpful to think about things you have overcome.
  • Use visual reminders. Good habits are hard to start but using an item (a gift from a friend or a photo of someone special) to prompt gratitude can help.
  • Go through the motions. Acting as if you are grateful (smiling, saying thank you, writing a note of gratitude) can often trigger the emotion of gratitude and a feeling of wellbeing.

Try gratitude for a week and see how it impacts you. If it works, you can make it a thankful habit.

About the Husky Experience Toolkit

The Husky Experience Toolkit is designed to help you make the most of your time at UW, wherever you are in your university career. The articles address four interconnected dimensions of the Husky Experience: Know Yourself, Know the World, Make Your Way, and Weave it Together.