Being grateful could save your life.
Researchers at Maynooth University and the University of Limerick found practicing gratitude could reduce the risk of having a heart attack.
They studied over 900 people on how strongly they agreed with the statements “I have so much in my life to be thankful for” and how grateful they felt to “a wide variety of people.”
The results linked the gratitude trait with a reduced risk of having a heart attack.
The results show those who expressed the most gratitude were less likely to have a heart attack within the next 4 to 9 years – but only if stressful situations also increased their heart rate.