At some point in your life, you’ve likely been told that you should “focus on the bright side” or think of all the good things in the world. It might seem apparent that this would make you a more pleasant person to be around (no one likes a complainer) but are there any actual science-based benefits of practicing gratitude? How does it affect your moods? Does it have a major impact on the chemicals in your body? Can it make you physically healthier?

Luckily, with the emergence of the positive psychology field, there have been dozens of studies to uncover the answers to these questions. Studies have shown that there are some very real benefits of gratitude ranging from reducing stress to improving your relationships. The positive psychology field has been growing in recent years and we can expect to see many more studies and findings involving gratitude and other wellness habits.

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### Overview of Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude can be a surprisingly powerful emotion. The benefits you receive from expressing gratitude typically depend on how you go about doing so. But there are generally a few effects you might expect to see:
- Ability to see the good in any situation
- Increased empathy for others
- Resilency in difficult situations
- A feeling of calm and reduced stress

All of the above probably sound great, but not very surprising. My goal here is to share some learning from scientific studies to actually show how gratitude can impact your mental health, physical well-being, and success in life.

Some of the topics we'll cover include:
- Measurable increase in **happiness**
- Decrease in depressive symptoms
- Better **sleep**
- Healthier **relationships**
- Improved **social support** and prosocial behavior

We’ll take a deeper look at some of the research behind these finds in this article.

## How Gratitude Affects Your Mental Health
Gratitude provides a new way of looking at the world - one that focuses on the positive and learns to find the good in any situation. Practicing this outlook can have a profound effect on your mental health in the following ways:
- Happiness & decrease in depressive symptoms
- Subjective well-being: Life as a whole and connectedness
- Coping and resiliency

I've selected a few studies that illustrate the effects of gratitude on your mental health. This is just a starting point, especially if you're interested in exploring methodologies and sciencific discussions.

### Happiness & Depressive Symptoms

In one study that measured the impact of six exercises on overall happiness and depressive symptoms, two that stood out were _Three Good Things in Life_ and _Gratitude Visit_ [1](#footnote1). In the _Three Good Things in Life_ exercise, participants would write about three things that went well that day along with their causes and a “casual explanation for each good thing.” The Gratitude Visit exercise involved participants writing a letter of thanks and delivering it in person to someone who had been kind but not ever properly thanked.

_Three Good Things_ had one of the largest measurable impacts that lasted even after six months, slowly increasing over time. At the end of the period, __overall happiness had increased by roughly 10% amongst participants__. This particular habit is very similar to [gratitude journaling](/research/what-is-a-gratitude-journal) and explains why positive psychologists recommend the practice.

Researchers found that participants in the _Gratitude Visit_ exercise had the highest initial impact on their happiness but that those feelings had completely reset after three months. This may have been partially due to the novel nature of the action.

![three-good-things](//images.ctfassets.net/6toqfbloxcdn/5nYanRRzS7g8ZiKU27kqfq/5081f18a4c986b5d400db4817f421355/three-good-things.png)

It seems intuitive that gratitude might make you happier, because it helps you focus on the good in any situation. Even on a terrible day the sun rises and sets.

### Subjective Well-Being

In a seminal study on gratitude by Emmons AND McCullough[2](#footnote2), the researchers studied the effects of a 21-day daily gratitude practice on participants daily experiences.

> “[P]articipants in the gratitude condition reported considerably more satisfaction with their lives as a whole, felt more optimism about the upcoming week, and felt more connected with others than did participants in the control condition ... Therefore, it appears that participation in the gratitude condition led to substantial and consistent improvements in people’s assessments of the global well-being.”[2](#footnote2)

![subjective-wellness](//images.ctfassets.net/6toqfbloxcdn/4BVl7DeaNocf2QzeePgioT/3d8477b59ae926a26cc6669c64680841/subjective-wellness_copy.png)

Considering that the study only measured three weeks of gratitude, these results suggest that a consistent gratitude practice could have a significant impact on overall life satisfaction.

### Coping and Resiliency

Gratitude allows us to “focus on the bright side” or think of the “glass as half-full,” but what have researchers found in regard to how it can help us get through tough situations?

One group of researchers examined individuals affected by the events of September 11, 2001[3](#footnote3). They studied the prevalence of positive emotions such as gratitude, interest, and love. They found that “...analyses suggest that positive emotions were critical active ingredients that helped resilient people to thrive despite the emotional blows delivered by the September 11th attacks.”

Other researchers have explored how we might use positive emotions like gratitude to help buffer ourselves from adverse events[4](#footnote4). During the current COVID-19 crisis, this could be recognized in the increase of gratitude and appreciation for healthcare workers and acts of kindness for people less-fortunate.

## How Gratitude Affects Your Physical Well-Being
It’s not surprising that gratitude can have an affect on your physical well-being as well as your mental health. There are plenty of known connections between the way we think and act and the way our bodies respond. For example, you might typically feel like you have more energy when you are happier, so if gratitude increases your happiness, you’d be safe to assume it might indirectly give you some boost in energy.

Some of the more interesting relations that we’ve seen in research include the following measured affects of gratitude:

- Improvement in sleep quality and refreshed feeling after waking
- Impact on your cardiovascular and nervous systems

We'll add more to this list as we discover new research worth sharing!

### Sleep Quality
The study we mentioned earlier by Emmons and McCullough on gratitude asked participants to report on daily physical well-being in addition to the subjective characteristics discussed above. The two most significant measurements involved sleep:

> “...participants in the gratitude condition reported getting __more hours of sleep each night__ than did participants in the control condition”[2](#footnote2) 

![sleep](//images.ctfassets.net/6toqfbloxcdn/730KiBEGtIcxBtAwdLe5fb/b65e7566f29dcc4932ef6b4a11fe4e48/sleep.png)

If gratitude can actually help you sleep better then it could lead to a abundance of other health benefits. Consistently getting a good night of sleep has been connected to increased cognitive function, emotional regulation, and even immune strength. We’ll explore more of the research on sleep in an upcoming article.

### Cardiovascular and Brain Benefits

What does a state of gratitude actually look like in the human body? We found a study that looked at the heart rates of people who were in a state of frustration versus appreciation[5](#footnote5). Feelings of gratitude, calm, and appreciation are often associated with one another and could be an effective tool in cooling off or handling less desirable emotions of anger and frustration.

![heart-rate-appreciation](//images.ctfassets.net/6toqfbloxcdn/173saU1KSy6wIncB6WOqah/09371a6c085d2746561417f6f3da9124/heart-rate-appreciation.png)
<caption>Emotions are reflected in heart rhythm patterns.<a href="#footnote5">5</a></caption>

Even more interesting was that researchers discuss the relation between heart rhythms and activity in the brain:

> “Thus we have found that sustained positive emotions such as appreciation, care, compassion, and love generate a smooth, sine-wave-like pattern in the heart’s rhythms. This reflects increased order in higher-level control systems in the brain, increased synchronization between the two branches of the ANS, and a general shift in autonomic balance towards increased parasympathetic activity.”[5](#footnote5)

It’s exciting to consider what further research involving the affect of gratitude on our brains might uncover!

## How Gratitude Affects Your Success
Gratitude can have enormous benefits to your relationships, social bonds, and overall success in life. Happier people are typically considered better to be around, but positive psychologists have taken a deeper look the connection between gratitude and prosocial behaviors to understand if gratitude can give you an advantage in our very social world.

Researchers have found that gratitude benefits:

- Forming bonds and friendships
- Building relationships and communicating with loved ones
- Social support
- Tipping and other acts of empathy

Once again, this is just a small sample of research and there are many more studies that explore how gratitude can catalyze a successful life.

### Gratitude Strengthens Bonds and Relationships
A study involving 566 adolescents found that gratitude growth predicted a decrease in antisocial behavior and increase in prosocial behavior over 4 years[6](#footnote6). Children who feel more gratitude may be at an advantage in terms of making friends and having a healthy social life! The same study also found that social behavior growth had a reciprocal relationship with gratitude growth. In essence, being more social can lead to increased gratitude.

It makes sense that gratitude would help with social behavior. Showing appreciation and being more likely to help each other are key to any healthy relationship. Learning to work with others is also crucial for success both in school and later in the workplace.

### Building Relationships

In 2011, Nathaniel M. Lambert and Frank D. Fincham at Florida University published a study to explore the ways “expressing gratitude would increase positive perception of a relationship partner, thereby increasing comfort in expressing relationship concerns, which is a form of relationship maintenance.”[7](#footnote7) Expressions of gratitude were tested against grateful thoughts, neutral interactions and positive interactions between the partners.

> “...expressing gratitude for a friend increased both participants’ positive perception of the partner and comfort in voicing relationship concerns to that friend over and above the effect of thinking grateful thoughts or having an unrelated positive interaction.”

There’s an important takeaway here: expressing gratitude outwardly has additional benefits, particularly in your relationships. Just thinking grateful thoughts isn’t as effective!

### Social Support
A study involving police officers measured “the role of gratitude, resilience, satisfaction with life and social support in protecting officers who worked during or after Hurricane Katrina from symptoms of depression.”[8](#footnote8) 

> “Gratitude was associated with both reduced symptoms of depression and higher satisfaction with life. Officers with higher gratitude were more likely to have higher social support, which was associated with fewer symptoms of depression and higher satisfaction with life.”[8](#footnote8)

Someone who expresses gratitude will be more likely to appreciate the good things in their life and choose to accept support when it is offered. There’s a great deal of research specifically targeting how social support is crucial to success and satisfaction with life.

### Tipping, Volunteering, Etc.
A summary paper, _Gratitude in Practice and the Practice of Gratitude_[9](#footnote9), explores many of the recent studies related to gratitude. One pattern seems to emerge: gratitude can touch all aspects of life and be a tool for positive change.

> “Research has also shown that expressions of gratitude can reinforce kidney donation ... and volunteering behavior toward people with HIV/AIDS ... and field experiments have shown that mere thank-you notes can bring increased tips from customers ... higher response rates on mail surveys ... and more visits from case managers in a residential treatment program”[9](#footnote9)

We recommend taking a deeper look at some of the sources from this reference to further explore these behavioral changes from gratitude.

## How To Be a More Grateful Person
Becoming a grateful person isn’t something that just magically happens. Some people may be more naturally prone to feelings of gratitude, but there are exercises and habits that anyone can do to boost their ability to feel grateful. In the same way that novice runners can train to run a marathon, anyone motivated by self-improvement can enjoy the benefits of gratitude by training their gratitude “muscle.”

Before you compare yourself to your kindest friends or well-known gratitude gurus, keep in mind that everything is relative and change is measured by improvement, no matter how small!

### Gratitude Journaling - A Simple Way to Practice Gratitude
As mentioned in the research summaries above, one of the most promising exercises for increasing gratitude is Three Good Things - the act of writing down and reflecting on three things that went well at the end of each day. This exercise is very similar to the act of [gratitude journaling](/research/what-is-a-gratitude-journal).

We designed the [Happyfeed app](/) to be a simple way to record happy moments and gratitudes each day.

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If you aren’t interested in downloading an app, you can always try a good old-fashioned notebook or one of the thousands of creatively designed physical gratitude journals (try a quick Google search). The most important thing is to create a habit that works for you. We offer some tips on how to effectively start a new habit in this post about [Forming Healthy Habits](/research/how-to-form-healthy-habits).

## Further Work
At the end of the day, I'm not a positive psychology researcher in a lab at a top university, but instead an engineer who is very intrigued by the way gratitude can improve our lives. I'd love to connect with anyone involved in research who comes across this article - perhaps there's a way to leverage technology to learn even more! Please let me know if I missed any important studies or made errors in my summarizations too.

Send me an email anytime at [matt@happyfeed.co](mailto:matt@happyfeed.co)

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### References:

<a name="footnote1">1</a>: Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. _American psychologist_, 60(5), 410. [Link](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e83e/c1739d233acebe78d5df0b56b2c6f6f42691.pdf)

<a name="footnote3">2</a>: Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. _Journal of personality and social psychology_, 84(2), 377. [Link](https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/application_uploads/Emmons-CountingBlessings.pdf)

<a name="footnote2">3</a>: Fredrickson, B. L., Tugade, M. M., Waugh, C. E., & Larkin, G. R. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. _Journal of personality and social psychology_, 84(2), 365. [Link](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755263/)

<a name="footnote4">4</a>: Gordon, A. K., Musher-Eizenman, D. R., Holub, S. C., & Dalrymple, J. (2004). What are children thankful for? An archival analysis of gratitude before and after the attacks of September 11. _Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology_, 25(5), 541-553. [Link](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397304000693)

<a name="footnote5">5</a>: McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Tomasino, D., & Bradley, R. T. (2009). The Coherent Heart Heart-Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order. _Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary & Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research, & Praxis_, 5(2). [Link](http://www.integral-review.org/issues/vol_5_no_2_mccraty_et_al_the_coherent_heart.pdf)

<a name="footnote6">6</a>: Bono, G., Froh, J. J., Disabato, D., Blalock, D., McKnight, P., & Bausert, S. (2019). Gratitude’s role in adolescent antisocial and prosocial behavior: A 4-year longitudinal investigation. _The Journal of Positive Psychology_, 14(2), 230-243. [Link](https://sites.hofstra.edu/jeffrey-froh/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2019/11/Gratitude-s-role-in-adolescent-antisocial-and-prosocial-behavior-A-4-year-longitudinal-investigation.pdf)

<a name="footnote7">7</a>: Lambert, N. M., & Fincham, F. D. (2011). Expressing gratitude to a partner leads to more relationship maintenance behavior. _Emotion_, 11(1), 52. [Link](http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.728.199&rep=rep1&type=pdf)

<a name="footnote8">8</a>: McCanlies, E. C., Gu, J. K., Andrew, M. E., & Violanti, J. M. (2018). The effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on depressive symptoms among police officers following Hurricane Katrina. _International journal of social psychiatry_, 64(1), 63-72. [Link](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0020764017746197)

<a name="footnote9">9</a>: Bono, G., Emmons, R. A., & Mccullough, M. E. (2004). Gratitude in practice and the practice of gratitude. _Positive psychology in practice_, 464-481. [Link](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julian_Barling/publication/232553222_Leading_Well_Transformational_Leadership_and_Well-Being/links/59f7575baca272607e2d7da9/Leading-Well-Transformational-Leadership-and-Well-Being.pdf#page=488)

main-image

Gratitude can have a positive effect on happiness, social bonding, coping, and even sleep.

Happyfeed is a simple gratitude journaling app available for iPhone and Android. We make it easy and fun to start your new habit.

main-image-social

Gratitude has many benefits ranging from better sleep to improved social support. Learn more from examples from research.

Benefits of Gratitude

We spend a lot of time discussing ways to be happier - maintain close friendships, look on the bright side, drink more water. But we don’t often think about how we feel happiness. Did you know that the warmth you feel from a long hug is caused by an entirely different chemical sensation than the high you feel after a long run or bike ride?

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So then, what’s the real cause of our happiness? What makes us feel sensations of happiness, closeness, and joy? Brain chemicals! There are four primary chemicals that can drive the positive emotions you feel throughout the day: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins (sometimes referred to as D.O.S.E.).

By understanding how these chemicals work on a basic level, we can better decide for ourselves whether the latest trends will be helping or hurting our happiness. Think of this as your introduction or field guide to what these chemicals are and how they affect your daily happiness. 📓

## Dopamine
(Pronounced: doh-puh-meen)

You’ve probably heard of dopamine if you’ve been listening to ongoing news about tech addiction. Dopamine causes that little happy feeling when someone likes your post on Instagram, fill in a checkbox, or complete a small task.

Despite the bad press, dopamine is an incredible drug! It’s meant to motivate your body toward a distant goal, one step at a time. Without dopamine, early humans never would have had the motivation to hunt down large mammals and benefit from investing effort into long-term goals. Today, dopamine is what helps you get through your to-do list or motivates you to start a new habit.

However, dopamine is becoming a real problem because of its addictive nature and how closely tied it is to our bad technology habits.

Even worse, the effects of dopamine are fleeting. This isn’t the type of long-lasting happiness you’ll be able to savor, and it’s likely not the goal on your quest for happiness. It will last just long enough to get you to check another social feed on your phone or beat another level of Candy Crush.

## Oxytocin
(Pronounced: ok-si-toh-suh n)

Oxytocin is often affectionately referred to as the “hugging drug” because it is released by the brain during physical contact with others. It’s also the feeling behind love, friendship, or deep trust.[1](#footnote1) If humans are social animals, oxytocin is one of the main reasons why.
> “Oxytocin boosts our immune systems, makes us better problem solvers and makes us more resistant to the addictive qualities of dopamine. Unlike dopamine, which is largely responsible for instant gratification, oxytocin gives us lasting feelings of calm and safety.”[1](#footnote1)

How can you increase your oxytocin levels? Positive social interactions tend to be the best way to increase the output of this hormone. Working together with others, sharing a meal, giving a gift, opening up emotionally, providing full attention while listening to someone, and long hugs.

What’s especially great about oxytocin is that it often works two ways. Those long hugs give both you and the hug-receiver a dose of oxytocin. A kind gesture delivers a little oxytocin to both you and the gift-receiver. 

On your search for happiness, __oxytocin may be your best friend.__ It can help fight stress, improve your relationships, and promote long-lasting positive emotions. There’s even some evidence that oxytocin could assist in physical wound healing![2](#footnote2)

## Serotonin
(Pronounced: ser-uh-toh-nin)

Serotonin is another social chemical, but it functions in an entirely different way. Serotonin plays a role in the dynamics of pride, loyalty, and status. When we feel a sense of accomplishment or recognition from others, we are experiencing the effects of serotonin. This could be from receiving your diploma, crossing the finish line in a race, or being appreciated for hard work in the office. Serotonin can create strong, positive emotions.

Interestingly, serotonin can help build both sides of social dynamics. Serotonin is what motivates a leader to excel and grow their influence - to win awards and become popular in the news. But serotonin also compels their _followers_ to do well - to not let down their leader, parent, or teacher and excel in life.

> “That’s why when someone receives an award, the first people they thank are their parents, or their coach, their boss or God—whoever they felt offered them the support and protection they needed to accomplish what they accomplished. And when others offer us that protection and support, because of serotonin, we feel a sense of accountability to them.”[1](#footnote1)

Serotonin also plays a role in many crucial systems in our body beyond just our well-being and happiness. It’s believed to affect digestion, bone growth, and even organ development. 

## Endorphins
(Pronounced: en-dawr-fins)

You know that feeling that runners talk about getting on long runs? The “runner’s high?” That feeling comes from endorphins. (A lot of endorphins.)

Endorphins are essentially released in response to pain. They help us push our bodies beyond their comfort levels and persist when we might otherwise want to give up. 

Once you remove the pain part of the equation, endorphins can feel like a “high” or even just a nice relaxing feeling. Taking a freezing cold shower in the morning, for example, can give you a huge boost of endorphins if you can stand a minute or two of physical discomfort.

It’s even been argued that the joyful feeling you get from deep belly laughs is caused by endorphins! The contracting of stomach muscles is enough “pain” to release a few feel-good endorphins into your body.

So where do endorphins fit in with the other happiness drugs? Endorphins are the reason exercise is often suggested to help with stress. They’re the reason why starting a gym routine can help you relax after a long day at work. The predictability of endorphins makes them especially useful!

<hr>

## Chemicals & Happiness, In Summary
Each of these chemicals plays a huge part in the way our bodies function: physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ve only touched the surface, and I really encourage you to learn more on your own. By understanding the role these hormones have, you can better understand how they are affecting you in everyday situations. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to take control of those effects and enjoy a healthier, happier life. Sounds worthwhile, right?

To reiterate, here’s a quick overview of these brain chemicals:
- __Dopamine__ - The (good & bad) habit former. An incredible tool when used appropriately!
- __Oxytocin__ - The hugging drug or “love hormone.” Oxytocin makes us social and builds relationships with trust and loving feelings.
- __Serotonin__ - The “leadership hormone.” Heavily related to pride, loyalty, and status.
- __Endorphins__ - The natural painkiller. The runner’s high!

This post was heavily inspired by *[Leaders Eat Last](https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/B00HQ3K34M)* by Simon Sinek. I’d highly recommend reading the book (it’s a short read) or you could just listen to [this talk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y) by Simon Sinek.

<hr>

### References:
<a name="footnote1">1</a>: Sinek, S. (2014). Leaders eat last: Why some teams pull together and others don't. New York: Penguin Group.

<a name="footnote1">2</a>: Gouin, J. P., Carter, C. S., Pournajafi-Nazarloo, H., Glaser, R., Malarkey, W. B., Loving, T. J., ... Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2010). Marital behavior, oxytocin, vasopressin, and wound healing. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35(7), 1082-1090. [Link](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.01.009)

Brain Chemicals

DOSE: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins

How dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins activate your happiness and ways you can trigger these chemicals

4 Brain Chemicals That Make You Happy

Whenever I think of habits, I think of flossing. It’s generally agreed upon that flossing is good for you, but it’s an action I struggle to turn into a habit. Why is that? Why do most people brush their teeth but few floss?

There’s a _lot_ of research on the science behind habits. This article explores a few of the basics beyond what a habit is, explores ways to build new healthy habits, and shares research on how long it takes to form habits.

## What Is A Habit?

What is a habit anyway? David Neal at Duke University defines habits in _Habits—A Repeat Performance_[1](#footnote1):

> “habits are automated response dispositions that are cued by aspects of the performance context (i.e., environment, preceding actions). They are learned through a process in which repetition incrementally tunes cognitive processors in procedural memory (i.e., the memory system that supports the minimally conscious control of skilled action).”

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If that’s a little too lengthy for you, let’s say **habits are automated responses learned through repetition.** The route you take to work in the morning, the playlist you put on to study, even how you eat a piece of toast - all of these are habits. One study at Texas A&M University found that around 40% of the actions we perform in a given day are these automated actions[2](#footnote2). But that’s perfectly fine! They also found that

> “...habitual performance mode was associated not only with lower intensity emotions overall, but these effects were specifically reflected in lesser feelings of stress”

Habits, especially healthy ones, are a crucial part of a good life.

## The 4 Stages of Habits
To be able to change habits, it's important to consider the different stages that make up a habit. According to James Clear, an expert on the science of habits, there are four stages that we always go through when performing any habit.

1. __Cue__: This is the trigger that begins the stages of a habit. A trigger could be anything from getting out of bed to feeling a vibration from your phone.
2. __Craving__: The craving is a feeling associated with the cue. By repeatedly performing an action, you train your body to link moments with outcomes. Sitting on the couch may cause you to crave television, walking by an ice cream shop may cause you to crave a cold treat.
3. __Response__: The response is the habit itself - the action that you perform in order to achieve the reward that you crave. Turning on the television, buying that double cone with sprinkles, or opening Twitter.
4. __Reward__: Rewards are the desired outcome from a habit. This is the dopamine hit you get from checking off a to-do item, the boost from your morning tea, and the clean feeling after brushing your teeth.

Let's walk through a full example to see how these stages play out in reality. For the habit of checking social media like Instagram: the __cue__ is receiving a notification_, the __craving__ is wanting to see a photo or message from a friend, the __response__ is opening the Instagram app on your phone, and the __reward__ is the feeling of being in touch and connected with your friends.

For _bad_ habits, you might be wondering, "What's the reward?" Even with a habit that is bad for you in the long-term, there is typically a short-term benefit. Eating a full quart of ice cream is awfully delicious, afterall.

To learn more about the science of habits, I'd highly recommend reading the book _Atomic Habits_ by James Clear.

## How To Start A Successful Habit

Habits are tough to start and stop. There are entire novels written to assist with habit formation. From years of working on a habit forming product and dabbling in pop psychology, I’ve found a few useful insights to help you form new habits.

### 1. Baby Steps (Keep It Simple)
A popular New Year’s Resolution is to “eat healthier.” But this is a huge task! Does it mean you need to toss out all the sweets, switch to salads, or even become a vegan? It’s easy to see how these resolutions may not last long.

If you really want to eat healthier, start small, like, really really small. This is what Dr. B.J. Fogg, [director of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab](https://www.bjfogg.com/stanford), suggests. He has a specific method called [Tiny Habits](https://www.tinyhabits.com/) that uses small changes to bring habits into your life. In [an interview with NPR](http://www.wrvo.org/post/how-make-healthy-life-changes-tiny-habits) Dr. Fogg explains the importance of determining specific actions that will lead to your desired goal:
“Take a very small action that you want to do … and then you figure out where does that tiny action fit naturally in your life”

I love his example: __”After I brush I will floss one tooth.”__ Over time it will naturally grow and you’ll eventually be flossing all of your teeth. Dr. Fogg compares habits to plants - start small and place them in the best spot to grow.

### 2. Add To An Existing Habit
It can be challenging to remember a new habit every day. Most of the time, we are running on autopilot and don’t really think too much about our actions. Another trick is to associate a new habit with an existing part of your routine. **Performing your action *after* another action will make it easier to remember.** This existing habit is often referred to as the “trigger” or “prompt.” It could be as simple as planning to floss *after* brushing or being prompted by a notification *after* you check your phone.

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For example, let’s say you want to lose weight. Think about your routine and where you could add a small improvement to move your body or eat better. Perhaps you have an elevator in your office. Each day you take the elevator for your afternoon coffee break. A smart habit would be to start taking the stairs **down** to get your coffee. Remember, baby steps! Taking the stairs for one half of a trip is easier than committing to “always taking the stairs.”

You might even be mindful enough to skip your usual almond croissant.

### 3. Reduce Friction
Adding a new habit to your routine can be difficult, especially if it involves a lot of effort. Both of the previous tips involve making the habit more manageable - by starting with small behaviors and working it into your routine. A third thing you can do, is to adjust your surroundings to make the habit a little easier. Put fruits out on your kitchen counter, change your route home to go by the gym, or keep a book on your nightstand to make it easier to read before bed. 

Another common goal is to go to the gym daily. If you’ve decided to start working out in the morning, a trick for reducing friction is to pack your gym bag before going to bed. It’s one less step in the morning when you know you’ll want to hit snooze instead.

### 4. Focus on Consistency
Here’s where willpower comes into the equation. Ultimately you need to find the motivation and focus to perform your habit in the early days. Oftentimes your motivation is sparked by an epiphany - suddenly you want to lose weight. We can’t control when these epiphanies occur, but we can make it easier to put that inspiration to work.

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There’s some interesting research regarding consistency and habits. Though you might have an easier time planning a daily habit, **consistency doesn’t have to mean every single day**. Researchers at University of California and University of Missouri exploring positive habits (Lyubomirsky, S., & Schkade, D.A. 2005)[3](#footnote3) found
> people should strive to discover the optimal timing for each activity, that is, a frequency of engagement that allows that activity to remain fresh, meaningful, and positive for a particular person.

For example, one particular study found that performing acts of kindness actually had more impact on happiness if performed once versus multiple times[3](#footnote3). This “refractory period” is important to consider and unique to each activity!

### 5. Reward Yourself 
Unfortunately, most habits take a long time to start affecting us positively. Started flossing yesterday? Your gums are probably not much better off than the day before. You’ll feel good because you are making progress toward your goal, but you can always augment that feeling by rewarding yourself.

One especially clever way to do this is to __build rewards into the activity__. Let’s say you love nature and hiking. Maybe you could start trail running as part of a plan to start a running routine. If you’d like to learn to play an instrument, spend time practicing songs in a genre you enjoy![3](#footnote3)

Another trick? Literally reward yourself in the same way you’d train a puppy. Want to start a morning meditation practice? Treat yourself with a piece of chocolate after each 10 minute session. You may be surprised by how effective it can be - even if it feels silly at first.

## In Summary
1. **Baby steps** - Take your big goals and break them up into small actions
2. **Add to an existing habit** - Fit the habit into an existing part of your routine
3. **Reduce friction** - Find ways to make the action easier to start
4. **Focus on consistency** - Repeat the action until it becomes a habit
5. **Reward yourself** - Make it enjoyable and interesting!

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## How Long Does It Take To Form A New Habit?
So how long does it take until a new habit becomes another autopilot action? When does it become something that you automatically do each day or week without much conscious thought. Conventional wisdom is that it takes about a month to form a new habit, but what does the research say?

A study at University College London, London, UK tested how long it took for actions to become automatic for test subjects[4](#footnote4). They found:
> “The median time to reach 95% of asymptote was 66 days, with a range from 18 to 254 days.”

![habit-research](//images.ctfassets.net/6toqfbloxcdn/3LzwPa877i6OWCaICq4waE/017320123ef7d4828fd07ec7443401ec/habit-research.png)

These findings varied considerably for different actions and the researchers hypothesized that consistency played a part in the amount of time for a habit to truly become automatic.

The takeaway? _Persist!_ **It could take 66 days to form a new habit** and consistency plays an important role in solidifying the behavior.

<hr>

_If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it with a friend. You’d be surprised how many people are secretly struggling to form new habits or break old ones. Even if they already know about the science, a little reminder can be a huge help :)_

<hr>

### References:

<a name="footnote1">1</a>: Neal, D.T., Wood, W., & Quinn, J.M. (2006). _Habits — A Repeat Performance_. [Link](https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/545/docs/Wendy_Wood_Research_Articles/Habits/Neal.Wood.Quinn.2006_Habits_a_repeat_performance.pdf)

<a name="footnote2">2</a>: Wood, W., Quinn, J.M., & Kashy, D. (2002). _Habits in everyday life: thought, emotion, and action_. Journal of personality and social psychology, 83 6, 1281-97. [Link](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/dac6/ddda7bc9e733d5bf4df12dd1d4d6c6251faa.pdf)

<a name="footnote3">3</a>: Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). _Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change_. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131. [Link](http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/wp-content/themes/sonjalyubomirsky/papers/LSS2005.pdf)

<a name="footnote4">4</a>: Jaarsveld, C.H., Potts, H.W., & Wardle, J. (2010). _How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world_. [Link](http://centrespringmd.com/docs/How%20Habits%20are%20Formed.pdf)

Form Healthy Habits

40% of the actions we perform in a given day are these automated actions.

One of my personal favorite ways to start new habits is to draw out a habit grid on an 8.5”x11” sheet of paper.
- Label each **row as a day** and each **column as a habit** you’d like to track.
- Place this piece of paper somewhere prominent - like on your fridge or over your desk. - Each day you perform the habits mark the chart with a big red X
- Provide any relevant additional information (e.g. what exercises you did at the gym). 
 
Seeing progress in this manner can be a huge motivator and makes it easier to see overall progress instead of just days in a row.

Keeping a gratitude journal has been proven to increase overall feelings of happiness and well-being. Our iPhone app makes it easy!

Techniques and tips from research for starting new habits that make a positive change in your life

How to Form Healthy Habits

Gratitude journaling is the habit of recording and reflecting on things (typically three) that you are grateful for on a regular basis. In essence, you are rewiring your brain to focus more on the positive aspects of your life and build up resilience against negative situations. Keeping a gratitude journal is a popular practice in positive psychology - the scientific study of happiness. It’s commonly also referred to as “counting your blessings” or “three good things.”

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The physical format of your gratitude journal is not nearly as important as how you use it. Some people prefer to create a bullet-style journal with short entries, while others enjoy diving into their thoughts with longer posts. The goal of this article is to provide some tips, tricks, and research to help you find the best way to make it an effective habit for you.

## What are the benefits of gratitude?
Recent research in positive psychology suggests that practicing gratitude may increase overall feelings of happiness and reduce depressive symptoms. One of the most commonly cited research papers relating to gratitude journals is by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough[1](#footnote1). They ran three studies in which participants were instructed to record daily experiences:

> “The gratitude-outlook groups exhibited heightened well-being across several, though not all, of the outcome measures across the 3 studies, relative to the comparison groups. The effect on positive affect appeared to be the most robust finding.”

Though you may start feeling the effects of keeping your gratitude journal early on, some research suggests that the benefits only become significant after a month of journaling and increase over time[2](#footnote1). An initial happy “boost” may relate more to the excitement of starting a new habit; learning to focus on the good things requires a bit more time. Try to be patient with the process.

## Tips for keeping a gratitude journal
Gratitude seems like a simple enough concept, right? You can probably think of a few things right now: your family, your friends, health… that’s three, easy!

- **Enjoy the little things** - Specifics are what make your gratitude journal unique and full of little surprises. Writing “amazing friends” may miss most of the emotion compared to “Amy stopped by this afternoon with iced tea and scones.” 
- **Avoid repetition** - Ok, your significant other really is amazing, but you don’t want their name to be the only thing in your journal. Mix it up with different domains of life, e.g. work, relationships, or health. This can keep the practice “fresh” and extend the effectiveness of gratitude journaling[3](#footnote3).
- Mention **specific people and places** - Along the lines of avoiding repetition, citing specific people and places will help prevent your posts from feeling stale. You’ll also be learning more about who and what affects your happiness.
- **Don’t sweat the bad days** - Everyone has bad, awful days where nothing went your way. Gratitude journaling can be most important on the most difficult days - try to push aside the negativity and go simple (“my mom” or “tacos at lunch”).
- **Flex your “writer” muscles** - Have some fun with your posts! Throw in some extra adjectives, try to describe the way the fall air tasted, and explore details you normally wouldn’t. It’s rare to find opportunities to write, and what could be better than your private journal?
- **Make it a habit** - It’s generally suggested that you try writing in a gratitude journal at night before bed. Setting a reminder or pairing it with another habit (brushing your teeth, meditating) will make it easier to be consistent.
- **Mention surprises** - Not every day will have these, but reflecting on surprises is a useful way to avoid repetition and really savor your best days.

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## Digging deeper: Gratitude journal ideas and prompts
Effort and intentionality are the main ingredients to starting a successful gratitude journaling habit. As soon as your journal becomes another autopilot task (like checking your social newsfeed) it starts to lose its effectiveness. 

- **Savor those feelings** - Some moments stand out from all the others. When you’re lucky enough to have those emotions, really really savor them. Literally close your eyes and take in all the smells, sounds, and thoughts. Learn to do this often and you might discover you’re luckier than you thought.
- **Thank someone** - Go the extra mile and actually reach out and tell someone how much you appreciate them. Send them a “thank you” note or just wait until their birthday and send a real card. Remember the last time you received a letter? It’s an _**absolute delight**_ and something neither of you will forget.
- **Learn from your habits** - Remember how I said to avoid too much repetition in your gratitude journal? Recognizing patterns and themes can help you learn more about your happy triggers. For example, I tend to love days where I wake early and work on something I love. By doing this more often, I can actually affect my happiness.

If you are feeling stuck or need an extra nudge, try one of these gratitude journal prompts:

- Who is someone that consistently makes your life easier?
- How are the seasons or weather affecting your mood today?
- Has anything been going particularly well at work? Why?
- Did you catch yourself smiling at anything today?
- What trips are you looking forward to? What excites you?
- What habits or routines bring you joy? What was different today?
- Any experiences with nature today? How did it affect you?

## Comparing gratitude notebooks and journaling apps
If you are anything like me, you probably love the feeling of pen and paper. I grew up taking notes in journals, notebooks, and countless loose-leaf sheets of paper. There’s something special about the way you can express thoughts on a blank piece of paper. Even the doodles you sketch in the margins can trigger memories or remind you of details you’d otherwise forget.

So, why would you ever want to ditch your notebook for a gratitude journal app? 

First off, I don’t recommend completely replacing your journaling habits with an app on your phone or laptop. I like to think of the app ([Happyfeed](/) in this case) as a supplement to journaling. You might not be able to doodle in your app, but I’ll bet your old journals don’t have a camera, internet connection, or GPS.

Benefits of using an app:
- Easy to add **photos** - If a picture is worth a thousand words, that’ll save you a lot of writing.
- **Location** tracking - It’s fun to reflect on where you’ve been, what places make you happiest, and where you might be heading.
- Cloud **backup** - I’ve broken more phones and lost more journals than I’d like to admit. It’s nice to know your memories will last as long as you want them.
- **Reminders** - Push notifications on your phone make it easy to remind yourself to enter moments each day.
- **Search** - Maybe you wanted to remember the name of that coffee shop you loved in Prague? Databases provide a unique opportunity to find patterns and resurface old information.

## Summary
Starting a gratitude journal is a very personal decision and you should create yours in the way that best suits you. This article is based on research and readings but heavily biased by my time keeping a gratitude journal (nearly 1300 completed days as of posting this). As you grow your habit, you’ll figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Taking the effort to learn what makes you happy and how to best capture those feelings will benefit you in more ways than you might expect. I hope this article serves as a helpful framework for getting started or just staying on track.

If you’d like to chat about gratitude or share how journaling has helped you, please send me a [message](mailto:matt@happyfeed.co) - I’d love to hear from you.

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<hr>

### References:

<a name="footnote1">1</a>: Emmons RA, McCullough ME. (2003). _Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subject wellbeing in daily life_. J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. [Link](https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf)

<a name="footnote2">2</a>: Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). _Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions_. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421. [Link](https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/ppprogressarticle.pdf)

<a name="footnote3">3</a>: Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). _Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change_. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131. [Link](http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/wp-content/themes/sonjalyubomirsky/papers/LSS2005.pdf)

Gratitude Journals

Gratitude journals come in all shapes and sizes.

Happyfeed is a simple gratitude journal available on iOS and Android. Record three good things each day with photos to start focusing more on the bright side.

social-image

Learn the benefits of keeping a daily gratitude journal, plus get ideas for prompts and read the underlying science and research

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