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Gratitude has been scientifically proven to have significant positive effects on a person’s physical and mental health.

On one of my productive procrastination days, I listened to a Huberman’s lab podcast. Andrew Huberman discussed the science, how, and benefits of an effective gratitude practice in this episode.

Continue reading to discover a powerful gratitude practice that can help you improve your life.

What is gratitude

Too often, we think of gratitude as simply being thankful and appreciative. Gratitude, however, is more than just a feeling.

Our brain is made up of circuits, neurons, transmitters, and a variety of other components. And one of them has something to do with our prosocial behavior or mindset.

We literally have neuro circuits in our brains that are wired for prosocial thoughts and behaviors. And these prosocial circuits are distinct from the defensive circuits in the brain.

As it is, our brain is wired to perform prosocial behaviors for the benefit of others. This includes things like assisting others, cooperating, comforting, and donating.

And, according to scientists, gratitude is also a prosocial behavior or mindset.

With gratitude, however, you can be grateful for something without involving other people. And this behavior certainly enables us to be more effective in our interactions with others, including ourselves.

Importance of an effective gratitude practice

Most of us want to be happy. In fact, we go to such lengths as buying unnecessary stuff. Or do certain things in order to feel good and to feel happy.

We definitely work hard for our happiness.

But by practicing gratitude, we can increase our chances of feeling happy.

This is because practicing gratitude improves many aspects of our physical and mental health. And, as a result, we don’t have to work as hard to be happy.

Thus, even though humans are hardwired to be more defensive in order to survive. Having a consistent and effective gratitude practice can definitely change our mindset. So much so that, even on days when we do not practice gratitude, we can still feel its effect on our behavior.

Practicing gratitude even once a week can have a profound effect on a person’s well-being.

Those who practice gratitude regularly report being much happier. They discover more meaning in their lives. And they are filled with more joy, even awe.

Benefits of an effective gratitude practice

Additional benefits of practicing gratitude include:

How gratitude affects your brain

A regular gratitude practice can improve the way our brain works in a variety of ways. And, according to the Andrew Huberman podcast, gratitude has the following effects on the brain:

Effective gratitude practice

There are numerous ways to express gratitude. However, according to Andrew Huberman, these well-known gratitude practices may not be effective in providing the positive benefits of gratitude.

According to research, people are more likely to connect with a story. And so, it is more effective for your gratitude practice to be attached to a particular narrative. A story of gratitude.

This story can be something that happened to you or someone else. As long as you resonate with the feelings, the emotions in the retelling of the story. You find it powerful and it inspires you. And you attach a particular meaning in the story to yourself.

Now, when you have a particular story, you can have it outlined. It can be a few bullet points of what the story is about. Note the points that elicit powerful and positive emotions of gratitude within you.

You can then use your story outline for your gratitude practice. Spend around 1 to 5 minutes reading your story outline, feeling the emotional impact, and getting you into gratitude mode.

This will serve as a signal for your nervous system. To change the state of your mind and body. And to activate your prosocial behavior. So that you can benefit from the many positive effects of gratitude.

Do this gratitude practice 3 times a week at any time that is convenient for you. It can be before you retire to bed at night or upon waking up. It can certainly be any time of the day that you can spare a few minutes for gratitude.

Conclusion

To conclude, gratitude is an important practice to have because of the many positive benefits to our overall health.

Although there are many gratitude practices available, they may not be as effective. That is, in terms of providing positive changes in the brain and central nervous system.

So, as Andrew Huberman suggests, the ultimate gratitude practice should be one that is attached to a story. It can certainly be a gratitude story that happened to you or someone else but has deep meaning for you.

This ultimate gratitude practice is as follows:

Even though it is short and simple, the above practice is an effective way you can improve your life. And because it is backed by science, you can definitely reap all the positive benefits of gratitude.

Links

Please share your thoughts or ideas about Effective Gratitude Practice For An Improved Life (Backed By Science) in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:

9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
7 Tips On How To Develop A Persistent Habit

Small And Easy Habits That Can Change Your Life
Habits To Overcome The Struggle Of Waking Up Early
10 Simple Minimalist Habits You Can Develop
Top 10 Good Habits That Will Change Your Life
5 Reasons Waking Up Early Will Help You Reinvent Yourself
5 Hacks That Will Make You Wake Up Early Like A Pro
9 Practical Solutions To Your Money Concerns
5 Winning Ways To Live Below Your Means
Manage Your Money Better With These 5 Tips
Gratitude Is Essential For Your Success Find Out Why
8 Ways Gratitude Improves You
How To Best Manage Your Emotions For A Better You

Outside reference/s:

The Best Gratitude Practices

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