The science of gratitude–and its mental health impact–explored (NYT).
Many studies have asked participants to write letters of thanks, or to list the positive things in their lives, and then measured the effects of those acts.
The results suggest that performing these types of activities provides mental health benefits — reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, increasing self-esteem and improving satisfaction with daily life.
Want to give it a shot? Here’s a list of 100 gratitude prompts linked in the article. This will keep you busy…and maybe a little less anxious.