“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” - Zig Ziglar

When we express gratitude our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’.

By consciously practicing gratitude everyday, we can help these neural pathways to strengthen themselves and ultimately create a permanent grateful and positive nature within ourselves.

Gratitude can also:

- release toxic emotions

- reduce sensations of pain

- promote a healthy stress response

- boost immune health

- promote sleep quality

Specifically, if you can boost your alpha brain waves and lower your beta brain waves before sleep, you will improve your sleep quality dramatically. Serotonin levels in the brain also maintain the ratio between slow brain waves (so-called delta–theta activity) and alpha brain waves.

Serotonin is critical for melatonin. The precursor to melatonin is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. Within the pineal gland, serotonin is acetylated and then methylated to yield melatonin.

One way to do this is to tap into gratitude. One study in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, led by psychology professor Nancy Digdon found that writing in a gratitude journal for 15 minutes every evening helped students worry less at bedtime and sleep longer and better afterward.

Do you have a gratitude practice?