Benefits Of Being Grateful: How Being More Appreciative Will Affect Your Family, According To Studies

The difficulties and hardships of life can sometimes make it hard for people to be grateful. However, there are many studies that show the benefits of being grateful.

Some studies find that being more appreciative is linked to positive effects on both the physical and emotional health and well-being of a person, according to TIME. Other studies mentioned in News-Press show t

hat being grateful can even help make the whole family happier.

In a study involving almost 200 people and conducted by researchers from the University of California, higher scores in being grateful were linked to having a healthier heart, better mood, better sleep and less inflammation compared to those who scored low in gratitude tests. "We found that those patients who kept gratitude journals for those eight weeks showed reductions in circulating levels of several important inflammatory biomarkers, as well as an increase in heart rate variability while they wrote. Improved heart rate variability is considered a measure of reduced cardiac risk," researcher and university professor Paul J. Mills said.

A separate study published in the journal called Emotion involving 70 college students also show another important benefit of being grateful. "Gratitude helps you make new friends: Expressing gratitude is a great way to build new relationships," TIME explained.

News-Press also mentions other studies that show one of the benefits of being grateful: having a happier family and stronger relationships. "There are actually studies on gratitude that claim people who practice gratitude regularly feel better about themselves, they're more relaxed and resilient," Southwest Florida Parent & Child magazine editor and mother of two Pamela Hayford shared. "They have more friends, healthier marriages and better relationships." She also added that people who are more grateful and appreciative have better sleep quality during the night, a stronger immune system and are more energetic.