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What is Gratitude?

This step explains what gratitude is and guides you through understanding the concept so you can be more open, mindful and grateful.

Creator: @LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS

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Welcome to the Gratitude Growth Path!

At 7 Cups, we hope that you find the beauty of feeling more grateful as wonderful as we do.


What is gratitude?

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Gratitude is the awareness of being thankful for what is around us; big or small and the impact it has on our lives. It allows you to live in the moment and be truly grateful for even the smallest things that happen in your life. It is much more than saying thank you and is more about embodying the feeling of being appreciative for all that you have. When we focus on the things we have in our lives, we live an abundant life that attracts positive energy to receive even more in our lives.


How can I increase my gratitude levels?

An excellent way of increasing gratitude levels can be applied when you include a daily practice into your life like we will discuss later in the Personalized Growth Path.

What are the benefits?

There are so many benefits to being more grateful and perhaps you can think of some too? Here are some of the main benefits towards being more grateful:

  1. Gratitude opens the door to more healthier relationships. Not only does saying “thank you” make you feel good, but showing appreciation can help you make new friends. According to a 2014 study published in Emotion. The study found that showing appreciation towards a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. So acknowledging people can lead to new opportunities within developing new relationships!
  2. Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people. This is shown by grateful individuals exercising more which as we all know boosts our overall health including our mental health.
  3. Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Researchers have found that gratitude increases wellbeing and decreases depression.
  4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a positive manner socially even met with unkind comments.
  5. Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and maintain a pattern of sleeping without any interruptions.
  6. Gratitude improves self-esteem. Studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons and as we know social comparisons can become very destructive. Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better opportunities; a major factor in reduced self-esteem. Grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments thus in turn making them happier and living life in abundance too from a growth mindset. Gratitude increases resiliency. A 2003 study which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11 in the United States. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for, even during the worst times cultivates resilience which in turn will make you feel better!