Did You Know…? The intentional and proper practice of gratitude increases the release of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine? All 3 of these are neurotransmitters that play an influential role in regulating/balancing mood.
The release of dopamine through a practice of gratitude creates a virtuous habit. Also known as the “reward” or “pleasure” chemical, dopamine is essential for creating new habits. Therefore, the more you practice gratitude, the easier and more innate it becomes, and the better you feel because a rush of dopamine into our system leads us to believe that what we just did felt good and perhaps we should repeat it.
Furthermore, practicing gratitude has the potential of having a lasting impact on your mental and emotional as well as physical health. Perhaps one of the most rewarding consequences of practicing gratitude is the ability to increase our resiliency to stress and reduce our cortisol levels. Cultivating our resilience to stress provides numerous and notable benefits such as improving quality of sleep and immune function as well as the decreasing inflammation, anxiety, and depression.