Huffington Magazine Issue 85 | Page 84

Exit THE THIRD METRIC GETTY IMAGES/CAIAIMAGE Russell Brand and Paul McCartney have all spoken out on how they’ve benefited from the practice — proving that the activity can fit into even the craziest of schedules. THEY EXPRESS GRATITUDE. Expressing gratitude doesn’t just make you feel good — it has a direct effect on stress hormones in the body. Research has found that those who were taught to cultivate appreciation and other positive emotions experienced a 23 percent reduction in cortisol — the key stress hormone — than those who did not. And research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that those who record what they are grateful for not only feel happier and more energized, they also have fewer complaints about their health. According to gratitude researcher Dr. Robert Emmons, there are plenty of benefits in being thankful that contribute to overall well-being. “Philosophers for millennia have talked about gratitude as a virtue that makes life better for self and others, so it seemed to me that if one could cultivate gratefulness it could contribute to happiness, well-being, flourishing — all of these positive outcomes,” Emmons said in a 2010 talk at the GreaterGood Science Center. “What we found in these [gratitude] experiments three categories of benefits: psychological, physical and social.” During his study on gratitude, Emmons found that those who practiced gratitude also exercised more frequently — a key component in keeping stress in check. THEY SLEEP. Instead of staying up all night or hitting the snooze button all morning, extremely relaxed people get the proper amount HUFFINGTON 01.26.14