Gratitude is Protective Against Stress

The stress response raises blood pressure.  Scientists were interested in the role of gratitude in recovery from a stressful experience.

Researchers assessed gratitude and mood of 68 participants, and then gave them a math problem stress task.  Participants with higher levels of gratitude had less of an increase in blood pressure during the stress task, and they experienced a faster recovery from the stress task, than participants with lower levels of gratitude.  These results indicate that a state of gratitude reduces reactivity to stress and increases recovery from stress, as measured by blood pressure increases.

Seth Godin created a beautiful gratitude resource, The Thanksgiving Reader, for groups to reflect on the things they are grateful for.

Takeaway: A regular gratitude practice can reduce reactions to stressful events and hasten recovery from them.  Keep a gratitude journal or reflect on things you are grateful for to protect your body and mind against stress.  Pro Tip: Put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror or by your car keys to remind yourself to do your gratitude reflection while you brush your teeth or commute.

Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.

Source

Brian Leavy, Brenda H. O’Connell and Deirdre O’Shea, Gratitude, Affect Balance, and Stress Buffering: A Growth Curve Examination of Cardiovascular Responses to a Laboratory Stress Task, 183 Journal of Psychophysiology 103, Jan. 2023, Gratitude, affect balance, and stress buffering: A growth curve examination of cardiovascular responses to a laboratory stress task - ScienceDirect.  

Seth Godin, A Thanksgiving Reader, Seth Blog, Nov. 16, 2015, A Thanksgiving Reader | Seth's Blog (seths.blog).

Seth Godin Thanksgiving Reader, thethanksgivingreader.pdf (seths.blog).

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