Does Gratitude Cause Good Health or Does Good Health Cause Gratitude?
There is a ton of research out there that links giving thanks with happiness and health. However, I could not clearly find the answer to this simple question – does gratitude come first or do the good circumstances that drive the gratitude come first? A classic chicken or egg question at its finest.
Although the research is not conclusive, there is one thing that can be said for sure about grateful people. As stated by Summer Allen, Ph.D:
After 15 years of research, we know that gratitude is a key to psychological well-being.
So even though researchers can not conclusively say that gratitude is a primary reason for those with better health, research does conclude one thing for sure. You can’t be psychologically well when you have too many negative thoughts. Furthermore, being grateful is one of the best ways to counteract negative thinking.
As a result, the answer to the initial chicken or egg question on gratitude is not critical to knowing if you should embrace a gratitude mindset in your everyday life. Simply stated, of course you should!