Research Finds Gratitude Can Increase Feelings Of Connection & Overall Wellbeing

For this study, researchers wanted to explore the relationship between gratitude and wellbeing, namely looking at the differences between gratitude to god, gratitude to humans, and overall gratitude. They also sought to explore how gratitude impacts memories.

Participants were randomly assigned to remember either a happy event, a human-caused benefit, or a god-caused benefit. Then, the participants reported on how the memory made them feel, as well as how it made them feel when it happened.

And interestingly enough, memories involving gratitude showed less of a fade, or decline, in positive affect compared to other positive memories. As the study authors explain, "One way that gratitude might enhance happiness is because grateful memories have a positive emotional impact that does not fade over time," adding, "Happy and amusing memories fade over time significantly more than do grateful memories, [...] but grateful memories show that gratitude increases with time."

Another notable finding of the study was that gratitude to god, or feeling like something beneficial was a sacred gift from god, enhanced feelings of connection to god. "When people construe events spiritually, they are more likely to experienced gratitude to god," the authors explain, adding that if one interprets an event as indicating that god loves them, for example, they're more likely to experience that gratitude to god.

The findings of this study are one more reason we could all use more gratitude in our lives. And in the case of feeling spiritually connected and grateful to god, regardless of your religion or spiritual beliefs, we can all feel grateful to what we understand as our higher power.

And finding more gratitude in your life can be as simple as slowing down and noticing the little things, to thinking about the big picture and being grateful for where you are and what you have. As licensed psychologist Snehal Kumar Ph.D. previously explained to mindbodygreen, gratitude is "the practice of making space for appreciation," and can include everything from appreciation for experiences, people, and your higher power, but also appreciation of the self.

Look for the glimmers of joy and hope in your life, and be grateful for them when you notice them. Can't think of anything? Check out our list of 150+ things to be grateful for. Tell someone you're grateful they're in your life, or be grateful to yourself, for getting you this far.