Harvard scientists find another secret to longevity: Feeling grateful

Counting your blessings is tied to better emotional and social well-being and higher-quality sleep. Now, a Harvard study published online July 3, 2024, by JAMA Psychiatry suggests that feeling grateful might also be a key to living longer. The research involved more than 49,000 women (average age 79) who answered questions in 2016 about how thankful they felt about various aspects of life. Researchers followed up with participants three years later. Compared to women who'd originally reported feeling the least grateful, those who'd reported feeling the most grateful had a 9% lower risk of dying during the study period. The study was observational and doesn't prove that gratitude extends life. However, it might bring you more joy. Give it a try: Each day, write down three things you're thankful for. They can be large, like a friendship, or small, like a nice conversation with a neighbor or some pretty foliage you saw that day. If the practice fosters more gratitude, keep it going.

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