Article: Research in the field of positive psychology indicates a direct correlation between being thankful appreciation, or gratitude, and happiness. Increasingly, gratitude is shown to have a beneficial impact on physical health as well. People who practice gratitude have lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems, and feel more connected to others. Making a list of things that you are grateful for, no matter how large or small, is one way that people actively cultivate gratitude in their daily lives. Some people keep a gratitude journal, following the old adage to "count your blessings." Others include a list of things that they're thankful for in daily prayers or meditations. Posting photos, images, or written reminders of gratitude around your home is another way to remind yourself to be thankful. Positive psychology studies demonstrate that the act of expressing gratitude for other people's efforts has been directly linked to living a better life. Thank you notes can be written for any occasion, large or small. A thank you note can be no larger than a emoji, or can be a written letter detailing a major event in one's life. Sometimes people are no longer present in your life. A suggested practice of gratitude is to write a letter thanking them for their positive influence on your life. While you may never be able to mail this letter, the act of writing it will directly benefit you. Gratitude is a discipline, and must be practiced to be effective. Simply relying upon gratitude to arise spontaneously when events are pleasing is easy. To develop a practice of gratitude, one must develop the ability to find thankfulness in everyday affairs. You might set an alarm to call you to be grateful at random intervals throughout your day. When the alarm goes off, simply ask yourself: what am I grateful for, right now, this moment? If you notice that you're having a thought that is resentful or complaining, try replacing that thought with one of gratefulness. For example, when caught in a traffic jam, replace the anxiety about being late to your next engagement with an observation about the seasonal beauty. After all, you might have missed that beautiful fall tree color if you'd been driving at the normal speed!
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Make a gratitude list. Send a thank-you note. Set reminders to be thankful.