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THE THIRD METRIC
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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