Regular gratitude practice can profoundly transform your mind and body in beautiful ways, offering numerous benefits and healing effects.

Can you recall a time when you've felt genuine gratitude for something in your life? I'm sure you can!

It might be as simple as receiving a thoughtful gift or experiencing a kind gesture, like someone holding the door open for you. Perhaps when you hear the word "grateful," it brings to mind the many blessings in your life, such as your family and good health.

As a happily married mother of five boys, I’m immensely grateful for my wonderful family. I'm also deeply thankful to have founded Elderberry Queen, a business that allows me to help others live their best lives by providing organic elderberry syrup and even more natural products.

While we've been taught to say "thank you" as a kid, which we hear all the time, is it truly the same as feeling genuine gratitude? Let’s get into gratitude, ways to practice it, and the proven benefits you can achieve through this practice.

Gratefulness Vs. Thankfulness

The definitions of gratefulness and thankfulness overlap. A simple Google search of the two terms will show you they’re synonyms for one another. But there is a very distinct yet simple difference.

Being thankful is a feeling. Being grateful is an action. 

See, it’s more than just thinking about how thankful you are for someone, something, or a specific situation. It’s about living that out. It’s about showing how thankful you are through your actions! 

Gratitude prompts us to bless others in love, needing nothing in return or even recognition. It is an expression of our thanks and an opportunity to return kindness. This is the power of gratitude. 

How Practicing Gratitude Transforms Your Mind and Body

The benefits are astounding, but one of the most profound ways gratitude can impact your health is through your brain. Gratitude actually activates and stimulates your brain! 

The hypothalamus is the part of your brain that regulates some of your bodily functions. This includes your metabolism, sleep, appetite, temperature, and growth. Your hypothalamus is activated when you feel gratitude and display it. 

As you practice showing gratitude, your brain is stimulated, leading to a proper balance in your body’s internal environment. 

The two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for your emotions are dopamine and serotonin. When you express gratitude, your brain releases these, immediately bringing you happiness and joy from the inside out. 

You can strengthen these pathways and create a permanent grateful and positive nature within your own heart and mind by practicing gratitude daily. This is just the beginning of the healing effects of gratitude. 

Here are a few ways that gratitude done regularly can impact and change your mind and body.

4 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude

Welcome to a world where gratitude isn't just a warm and fuzzy concept. It's a scientifically proven path to a happier, healthier life. 

Let’s explore these four scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. From boosting mental health to strengthening relationships, you'll discover gratitude isn't just an attitude – it's a lifestyle (and a game-changer). 

1. Better Sleep 

When your hypothalamus is activated, it regulates bodily mechanisms, including sleep. This regulation helps you get deep, healthy and natural sleep. 

As you cultivate gratitude daily, you’re more likely to have positive thoughts as you fall asleep. This allows you to flow into the natural sleep cycle your body so desperately craves. 

A study was done to test whether individual differences in gratitude are related to sleep. Getting proper rest has a domino effect on your health, spreading this practice even further into all areas of your life. 

2. Less Stress

Feeling gratitude shows a marked reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone, by a crazy 23%.Your brain is hardwired to focus on the negative. Still, when your hormones are regulated, and you’re able to focus on the positive, your stress levels drastically decrease. 

By rewiring your brain, you can really deal with present circumstances and stressful events, not just survive them. 

3. Reduced Anxiety & Depression

When you practice gratitude and truly feel this emotion, it reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

In a recent gratitude research study, participants were asked to keep a gratitude journal and write gratitude letters. In this experiment, MRI scans determined there was an increase in neural modulation, and they were better able to manage negative emotions. They were also more willing to embrace positive emotions. This then leads to better quality sleep. 

I’m sure you’re aware of the strong correlation between sleep and depression. Long fact short, as your quality of sleep increases, your depression decreases. 

4. Increased Energy & Vitality 

It’s no surprise that the practice of being grateful can make you stronger, is it? There are so many reasons it makes you healthier. From stronger immune systems due to less stress, to your sleep patterns. You’re able to wake up and feel ready to take on the day. 

Research shows that thankful and grateful people have higher energy levels and are happier and healthier. These benefits can mean that being grateful has the potential to lengthen your lifespan. 

Have I convinced you that this is something you need in your life…. like right now? 

Good! Because we all do!

Here are a few ways to start practicing gratitude today and reap these beautiful and natural benefits!

How to Practice Gratitude

Embracing gratitude as a daily practice is like turning on a radiant light within your life. It's the art of appreciating the small moments, the ordinary joys, and the everyday blessings that often go unnoticed. 

In this section, we'll explore how to make it a meaningful part of your life. From simple daily rituals to heartfelt exercises, I’ll help you unlock the extraordinary power of gratefulness one step at a time. 

So, let's dive into the practical ways to practice gratitude. So you can watch it transform your world.

Write in a gratitude journal. Spend a few minutes at the start of every day writing down what you’re grateful for in your gratitude journal. You’re setting the tone for the rest of your day and kick-starting the process of rewiring your brain.

Write out grateful notes. Look through your journal entry and decide who you could write a note to or even send a text message. Tell them you’re thankful for them and possibly something specific they did for you.

Create a gratitude jar. While eating dinner with your family, have a jar and some Post-its ready. Write something you’re grateful for in your day. Take time to discuss them and share how they impacted your day. Collecting them in a jar reminds you daily how much you truly have to be thankful for. 

Make random acts of kindness part of your routine. Being grateful is to take action. This can be in your words, but it can also be in the way you serve others. Find opportunities to buy someone a coffee or hold the door open. Even something bigger like blessing someone financially or offering to help them with a big move. Show the people around you that you’re more than thankful, you're grateful! 

Decide right now to take your life, health, and happiness into your own hands with the practice of gratitude. 

Gratitude and Your Health

Gratitude isn't just a state of mind. It's a tonic for your overall well-being. But that's not all — we have an exciting secret weapon to share with you. 

 

Say hello to our USDA Organic Elderberry Syrup, a natural immune-boosting elixir that can fortify your family's health. 

 

Here are the seven key ingredients that make this syrup a game-changer for your wellness journey:

• Organic Elderberries — lowers inflammation and boosts immune health
• Organic Aronia Berries — a great source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese and antioxidants
• Organic Honey — provides antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar — may improve glucose and insulin levels
• Organic Cinnamon — may help support blood sugar control and protect against heart disease
• Organic Cloves — rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
• Organic Ginger — promotes improved digestion

From its meticulously sourced organic ingredients to its carefully crafted, family-friendly recipe, we know you’ll love it as much as we do.

And it's not just us singing its praises – hear from other mothers who have experienced the transformative benefits of Elderberry Queen's products firsthand.

"I bought this product to help boost my one year old's immune system as he was always getting sick in daycare. Ever since he started taking this daily, he hasn't caught a cold or gotten sick. Best elderberry brand by far!" — Sam, Verified Amazon Customer

What are the ways that you practice gratefulness? Comment below to encourage others  — and don’t forget to share this article so we can spread the power of gratitude!

 

Don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram to stay inspired and informed about the magic of natural wellness. 

💜 Ready to take the next step? Visit our online store and explore our natural products, including our beloved elderberry syrup!