Many of us take a few moments around Thanksgiving to reflect on things we are grateful for but are you aware experiencing gratitude regularly has positive effects on your physical health and emotional well-being? Research studies have discovered some personality traits that have a strong correlation to grateful people and not so grateful people. There are also ways to cultivate gratitude, read on to learn more and take a quiz.
The strongest personality trait that correlates to grateful people is agreeableness followed by extroversion and spirituality (from article The Science of Gratitude: More Benefits Than Expected; 26 Studies and Counting) What are those traits? According to psychology today, “A person with the trait of agreeableness can be described as cooperative, polite, kind, and friendly. In addition, people high in this trait are more trusting, affectionate, altruistic, as well as other general prosocial behaviors. People high in this prosocial trait are particularly empathetic, showing great concern for the welfare of others, and being the first to help out those in need.
Extroverts are outgoing, energetic, talkative people that “recharge,” or draw energy, from being with other people, as opposed to being alone.”
Traits with strong negative correlations to gratitude were neuroticism (long-term tendency to be in a negative or anxious
emotional state), materialism and envy.
Do you take things for granted or are you truly grateful? Click here
to take the gratitude quiz!
Benefits of practicing gratitude:
- You take better care of yourself, engage in more positive health behaviors such as regular exercise, healthy diet, regular physicals
- Decreases stress – able to cope with daily problems easier
- Feel more optimistic which fortifies immune system
Powerful ways to cultivate gratitude:
- Daily think of 3
things you are grateful for – can be small like a great tasting cup of coffee
or major such as relative doing well after a serious surgery. - Journal what
you are grateful for daily or weekly - Write a letter
of gratitude to someone - Change your
perspective of a challenging situation to a more positive attitude. For example, a co-worker that “gets on your
nerves,” maybe teaching you patience.