It’s well established that expressing gratitude can have a powerful impact on your mental health and overall well-being. Practices like gratitude journaling, daily reflection, and mindful appreciation have become part of many people’s wellness routines. But what makes gratitude so transformative?
How Thankfulness Rewires the Mind and Body
Gratitude is one of the most powerful, yet simple emotions you can cultivate. Modern neuroscience shows that regularly practicing gratitude can rewire the brain, improve emotional resilience, and strengthen physical health. Gratitude, derived from the Latin gratia, meaning grace or thankfulness, is more than just a fleeting feeling of appreciation. It’s a deeply physiological experience. When we express gratitude whether it be by thanking a friend, appreciating a quiet morning, or reflecting on your own achievements, it activates powerful regions of the brain including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and ventral striatum. These areas are responsible for regulating emotions, decision-making, and reward processing.
Studies using brain imaging have shown that gratitude boosts the release of dopamine and serotonin, the neurotransmitters responsible for happiness and emotional balance. At the same time, it reduces cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. In essence, gratitude helps us shift out of survival mode and into a state of calm connection. Even brief gratitude meditations can lower blood pressure and regulate heart rate. When you feel thankful, your body shifts into parasympathetic dominance, which is considered the “rest and restore” state that allows healing, digestion, and deep sleep.
Gratitude even changes the body at a structural level. People who practice gratitude regularly show greater gray matter volume in brain regions linked to empathy and emotion regulation. This neural rewiring helps you respond to challenges with clarity and calm. This allows you to be in control of your emotions, not the other way around, where your emotions are controlling you. Physically, gratitude has been linked to better sleep, stronger immunity, lower blood pressure, and decreased pain.
Gratitude, in many ways, is medicine for the nervous system. It restores balance to both your mind and your body. Yet learning to live with consistent gratitude requires more than a passing thought; it’s a mindset and view of the world. Philosophies like Stoicism and the Swedish concept of Lagom can show you how perspective can help gratitude become staple in your everyday life.
Gratitude is a Way of Life
The ancient Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus believed that gratitude was not a passive emotion but an intentional act of wisdom. This Stoic view of gratitude is grounded in acceptance. You don’t need to wait for perfect circumstances to be grateful; you simply recognize that everything you experience, such as joy or sorrow and success or setback has the potential to teach you something valuable. As Marcus Aurelius said, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive. To breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” The Stoics believed gratitude helps you switch the focus from what you lack to what you have. It’s a practice of perspective that keeps your mind and body balanced.
The Swedish concept of lagom, which translates loosely to “just the right amount”, echoes this same wisdom. Living lagom means embracing balance and moderation and appreciating life’s simple pleasures. It’s the ultimate feeling of being content. This Swedish way of living encourages you to slow down and find joy in what you already have. It’s gratitude in everyday action. It’s taking a walk outside, it’s enjoying a homemade meal, or finding joy in a cozy evening at home. In both Stoicism and lagom, gratitude isn’t about chasing happiness. It’s about identifying the small things in your everyday life that bring you joy.
A common practice in Stoicism and lagom living is self-reflection and journaling. Research shows that writing down three things you’re grateful for each day can reduce anxiety and improve mood in as little as two weeks. Gratitude journaling helps the brain focus on positive experiences. Other practices like expressing appreciation to someone, reflecting on what went right at the end of the day, or being mindful of small enjoyable moments can activate the same reward circuits as meditation. Over time, gratitude becomes a self-reinforcing loop: the more you practice it, the more your brain is wired to feel it. As you reflect on the science and philosophy behind gratitude, remember that its true power lies in daily, intentional practice.
Time to Act
Gratitude isn’t just something you feel, it’s something you do. By shifting your focus from what’s missing to what’s meaningful, you train both your mind and body to live with greater calm, clarity, and contentment. So, here’s your challenge: for the next week, take five minutes each evening to write down three things you’re grateful for no matter how small. In doing this, notice how your mindset begins to shift. In time, gratitude won’t just be something you practice; it will become a mindset.
To learn more about lagom, check out my book Swedish Lagom, your guide to living a well-balanced life, filled with happiness, joy, and positivity.
Kortney Yasenka, LCMHC, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor who provides individual, family, and group therapy, as well as life coaching services. She is certified in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy and has experience working with veterans and active military personnel. She has a Masters in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Health Psychology from Northeastern University. With over 15 years of experience, Kortney has worked in community mental health, school systems, and private practice while specializing in mood disorders, school and work related issues, life transitions, and self-esteem. Kortney is the co-author of The Stoicism Book of Quotes and wrote the foreword to The Resilient Warrior. Her newest book which she co-writes with her mom is Swedish Lagom.
