4 exercises to kickstart a gratitude habit

If you were already skeptical of gratitude, 2020 probably isn't making things easier.

In a 2014 study, Watkins found that people who did this for one week saw improvements in well-being.

The change was enduring: The improvements became more significant five weeks later.

These blessings can be isolated evens or big picture things, like the environment. Aim for a combination of both.

In a 2005 review of basic gratitude exercises, Martin Seligman, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, found that students who wrote letters to others expressing gratitude saw increases in happiness one week after the intervention.

However, that happiness decreased over time. Three months later, the boost in happiness had dissipated.

In a 2007 study, Watkins found that writing about these memories with a focus on gratitude helped give people a sense of closure. Participants also reported fewer unpleasant emotions tied to these memories post-intervention.

Part of this can be attributed to gratitude. But closure could also come from generally working through those memories.

The idea is based on the movie It's a Wonderful Life, where George Bailey, on the verge of ending his life, sees how his good deeds have positively impacted his town.

A 2008 study found that when people are asked to “mentally subtract” positive events from their lives, they tend to feel more positive afterward.

The idea is to reveal the happiness we often overlook.

In a 2011 study, Watkins asked students to vividly imagine their own deaths in a house fire. At the end of the exercise, students reported feeling more grateful.

Even for life itself.