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Giving thanks may make your brain more altruistic
Gratitude letters and visits
Write a letter of gratitude to someone, even if you never send the message. The positive effects this has on the brain can last for months.
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Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is good for our mental and physical health.
Several scientific studies show that there is a deep neural connection between gratitude and giving. When we're grateful, our brains become more charitable.
Gratitude journaling
The practice involves writing down things for which you are grateful. Researchers say it is more impactful to write in detail about one particular thing than to jot down a superficial list of things.
Writing once or twice a week is better for your well-being than doing it every day. It is because we adapt to positive events quickly, especially if we always focus on them.
Gratitude letters and visits
Write a letter of gratitude to someone, even if you never send the message. The positive effects this has on the brain can last for months.
Experiential consumption
Spend your money on experiences, not things. Instead of buying something special, consider making it an experience.
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Appreciate everything
The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for.
Find gratitude in your challenges
Gratitude is not only about being thankful for positive experiences. Sometimes thinking about negative or difficult situations can help to really nail down what you have to be thankful for.
Dig a little deeper into some of your own past experiences and try to figure out how they have helped shape you into the person you are today.
Practice mindfulness
Sit down daily and think through five to ten things you are grateful for.
Picture it in your mind and sit with that feeling of gratitude in your body. Doing this every day will rewire your brain to be naturally more grateful, and you’ll start feeling happier after every session.
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Gratitude meaning
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently assoc...
Write a thank-you note
You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life.
Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month.
Thank someone mentally
No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you and mentally thank the individual.
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Dopamine
Dopamine plays many roles in the brain. It is related to movement, motivation, and reinforcement of behavior.
Dopamine appears to exert significant effects in two regions of the brain...
Tracking dopamine
Dopamine, like other neurotransmitters, helps neurons communicate with each other over short distances. Most of the brain's dopamine is produced in the midbrain by neurons that connect to the striatum.
High dopamine concentrations do not make the neurons more active. However, they do make the neurons remain active for a more extended period of time, suggesting a longer response to the reward. It may have something to do with how dopamine promotes learning, which is one of its main functions.
Long-range effects
Researchers set out to determine if dopamine might affect more distant locations in the brain.
The regions that showed the most significant surges in activity in response to dopamine were the motor cortex and the insular cortex. The findings can help researchers understand the effects of dopamine in the human brain, including its roles in addiction and learning.