Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2017 and was updated in April 2026 to reflect Ideapod’s current editorial standards and The Sovereign Mind Framework.
We often hear about the power of gratitude for creating a more positive and happy mental state. But did you know that regularly expressing gratitude may actually rewire your brain to make you a happier person?
The reason is rooted in neuroscience: when you feel happiness, the central nervous system is affected. You become more peaceful, less reactive, and less resistant. And gratitude is one of the most effective practices for stimulating these neurological changes that support lasting happiness.
In this article we’ll share some of the research suggesting that gratitude makes you happier, followed by some steps you can take to more regularly express gratitude in your life. Finally, we’ll offer an alternative perspective about why gratitude needs to arise spontaneously as opposed to being forced.
Studies showing how gratitude transforms your brain
In a groundbreaking study of gratitude, conducted by Robert A. Emmons at the University of California at Davis and his colleague Mike McCullough at the University of Miami, randomly assigned participants were given one of three tasks. The participants kept a journal each week, with one group describing things they were grateful for, another group describing what was hassling them and the other keeping track of neutral events. After ten weeks, the participants in the gratitude group felt 25 percent better than the other groups and had exercised an average of 1.5 hours more.
In a later study by Emmons with a similar setup, participants completing gratitude exercises each day offered other people in their lives more emotional support than those in other groups.
Another study focused on adults suffering from congenital and adult-onset neuromuscular disorders (NMDs), with the majority having post-polio syndrome (PPS). Compared to those not jotting down what they’re grateful for each night, participants who expressed gratitude felt more refreshed each day upon awakening. They also felt more connected with others than participants in the control group.
A fourth study didn’t require a gratitude journal, but looked at the amount of gratitude people showed in their daily lives. In this research, a group of Chinese researchers found that higher levels of gratitude were associated with better sleep, and also with lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Better sleep, with less anxiety and depression. These are compelling reasons to express gratitude more regularly, but the key is finding an approach that works authentically for you.
Building a sustainable gratitude practice
If you’ve only got time to say one prayer today, make it the simple words of “thank you.” This is worth keeping in mind as you think about your daily practices and routines.
Here are three steps you can take to integrate authentic gratitude into your life:
- Keep a daily journal of three things you are thankful for. This works well first thing in the morning, or just before you go to bed.
- Make it a practice to tell a spouse, partner or friend something you appreciate about them every day.
- Look in the mirror when you are brushing your teeth, and think about something you have done well recently or something you like about yourself.
The key is consistency without forcing the emotion. Let gratitude arise naturally from honest reflection.
An alternative perspective on gratitude
In an interview with my friend Shaman Rudá Iandê, I asked him about the power of gratitude. He told me that it is indeed a powerful emotion, but it needs to be expressed spontaneously.
Here’s what he said:
“Yes, gratitude is such a powerful emotion! Although we risk being insincere if we start trying to feel it. It should come to us naturally.
“Many times, before we can feel real gratitude, we must access our frustration and our anger towards ourselves, life and God. Because we hear so much that we must be grateful, life is sacred and our creator is pure love, we end up closing the door to fully accessing our resentment.
“My main disagreement with both the current religions and the new age movements is the way they place God beyond any sin and make us believe we are wrong for not being as pure and perfect as we ‘should be’.
“Actually, we were born in this crazy world without a manual. We must suffer greatly before achieving some wisdom in life. Usually, when we finally start understanding how life works, it’s too late. We are too old to do anything with our wisdom.
“We are destined to live our lives investing in relationships, knowledge and material possession. And we are also destined to die and leave behind everything we fought for so fiercely.
“How can you not feel resentful about this?
“If you want to live in gratitude, you first must bring up all your frustration, resentment and anger. You must embrace these emotions and have a good argument with whichever God you believe in. Only after doing this you can really make peace with life and start enjoying all the pleasure and pain of being alive. Then you can find real gratitude.”
The Sovereign Mind lens
Understanding gratitude through The Sovereign Mind framework reveals how this emotion can support genuine mental clarity and resilience. This perspective helps distinguish between authentic gratitude and forced positivity.
Unlearning: Many of us inherit beliefs that gratitude should always feel easy or that we’re ungrateful if we experience frustration or anger. Social scripts often pressure us to bypass difficult emotions in favor of immediate thankfulness.
Restoration: Authentic gratitude emerges when we create space for our full emotional range, allowing both appreciation and resentment to coexist. This emotional honesty helps regulate our nervous system and builds genuine inner steadiness.
Defense: Real gratitude protects us from both toxic positivity and chronic negativity. It shields our emotional clarity from manipulative messages that shame us for feeling complex emotions about our circumstances.
Ways to cultivate authentic gratitude
Moving beyond forced positivity toward genuine appreciation requires both patience and honesty with yourself. Here are some approaches that honor the full spectrum of human experience while fostering real thankfulness.
- Honor your resistance first: Before trying to feel grateful, acknowledge any resentment, frustration, or anger you’re carrying. Write about these feelings without judgment.
- Start with small, specific moments: Instead of forcing gratitude for major life circumstances, notice tiny pleasures like the taste of morning coffee or a brief moment of quiet.
- Practice gratitude for your struggles: Consider how your difficulties have contributed to your wisdom, resilience, or compassion for others.
- Express appreciation to others without expecting anything back: Tell someone specifically what they did that mattered to you, focusing on the act of giving rather than receiving a response.
- Create gratitude rituals that feel authentic: Whether it’s a morning walk where you notice what’s working in your life or an evening reflection, find rhythms that don’t feel forced.
- Allow gratitude to coexist with other emotions: You can feel thankful for your health while simultaneously feeling frustrated about other areas of your life. Both emotions can be true at once.
