One-time efforts to celebrate gratitude, like Thanksgiving, undeniably make us feel good. Practicing gratitude can increase feelings of happiness and life satisfaction while decreasing depressive symptoms, many studies have shown. To keep experiencing gratitude's mood-boosting benefits, you should make practicing thankfulness a consistent part of your daily life.
That said, you don't need a daily turkey dinner with all the fixings to be grateful. It's more about exercising your gratitude muscles in your everyday routine through simple activities that cultivate and express thankfulness.
Like any skill worth mastering, gratitude takes practice to realize its full potential. Scientists have found that daily doses of gratitude deliver benefits beyond feelings of happiness, extending to enhanced relationships, self-esteem and overall life satisfaction.
(cnn)