How Gratitude Makes You Happier

Gratitude is an attitude. And, it might be the easiest way to boost your happiness. This week, we're revisiting the role gratitude plays in our physical and mental health. The holidays are a great time to hit a "reset" and reflect on what's really important in your life. My colleague Edie Lambert just produced an incredible story on the science of happiness and a new way it's being taught through gratitude at Sacramento State University. Dr. Meliksah Demir is Sac State's very first "endowed professor in happiness." He teaches a class called The Psychology of Happiness. "When you practice gratitude, it has the potential to give you the sense of peace, comfort, which is likely to help you say before bedtime, to breathe easily and then comfortably sleep. Perhaps this could be one reason as to why we are observing those benefits in the sleep domain," says Dr. Demir. And his students are impressed by what they're learning. "If you practice gratitude, happiness, you make more money, sleep better, better health. I've been surprised at how many benefits there are," says Amanda Rose. You can check out Edie's story here. On this Dying to Ask: The impact gratitude makes in mindset How to play the "gratitude game" this holiday season What you can learn about a person by asking them what they're grateful for And what happened when I asked my colleagues to tell me what they're thankful for right now