Experience the benefits of gratitude

If you’ve ever wondered why some people seem to radiate positivity, bounce back from setbacks, and find the silver lining in any situation, let me tell you—it’s not luck, and it’s not just their personality. It’s a practice. It’s gratitude.

The gift of gratitude is the antidote to the emotions that, when left unchecked, cause some of our biggest problems in life. And it isn’t just a gift you give yourself – the benefits of gratitude extend to your relationships with your partner, family and friends. Gratitude is even key to your spiritual wellness.

I’ve seen it in my own life and in the lives of millions I’ve coached: gratitude is the antidote to fear, anger, and frustration. It’s the foundation for emotional strength, physical health, and spiritual fulfillment. And the best part? Anyone can cultivate it, starting right now.

Tony knows the benefits of gratitude well. He’s been a proponent of the benefits of gratitude since his early days, because as he says, “You can’t be angry and grateful simultaneously. You can’t be fearful and grateful simultaneously.” But how exactly does it work – and how does it help us? Hear what Tony has to say about how to be truly grateful in any situation.

Why Gratitude Changes Everything

Your brain is the most powerful tool you have. What you focus on, you feel. If you focus on what’s missing, what’s wrong, or what you can’t control, you’ll experience stress and scarcity. But if you focus on what’s right, what you have, and what you can give, you’ll experience abundance and joy. As I always say, “What’s wrong is always available, but so is what’s right.”

Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good emotion—it’s a strategy for life. When you’re truly grateful, you can’t be angry or fearful at the same time. Try it. It’s impossible. That’s why I start every day with a gratitude practice I call “priming.” I take a few minutes to breathe deeply, focus on three things I’m truly grateful for, and let that feeling flood my body. It changes my state instantly and sets the tone for my entire day.

The Science and Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude literally rewires your brain. It activates the hypothalamus, regulates hormones, and boosts the chemicals that make you feel happy and connected. The benefits of gratitude are proven by science and lived by those who practice it:

• Decreased Negative Emotions: Gratitude breaks the cycle of anger, envy, and regret. It’s a feedback loop—focus on the good, and you’ll see more good.
• Increased Empathy: When you’re grateful, you’re more open to others. You connect, you forgive, and you build stronger relationships.
• Improved Outlook: You don’t have to be born an optimist. Gratitude creates optimism. It’s been shown to reduce depression and anxiety.
• Higher Self-Esteem: When you appreciate what you have, you stop comparing yourself to others. You feel enough.
• More Inner Strength: I’ve worked with people who’ve faced unimaginable adversity. The ones who thrive are those who find something to be grateful for, even in the darkest times.

Psychological benefits of gratitude

By activating the brain chemicals that make us happy, gratitude can help relieve the psychological and physiological effects of stress.

1. Decreased negative emotions

With all that’s going on in the world, it can be tempting to focus on the negative, but when you focus on the positive, the world seems to give you positivity in return. Gratitude creates a feedback loop that reduces toxic emotions like envy, anger and regret. It can also reduce stress – and that leads to many of the other health benefits of gratitude.

2. Increased empathy

The benefits of gratitude go beyond your own emotions – being grateful can actually make you more open to the emotions of others. Studies have shown gratitude increases empathy and therefore changes behavior, including reducing aggression and decreasing the desire to retaliate. Yes, it’s true – gratitude can make the world a better place.

3. Improved outlook

You might think you need to start off as an optimistic person in order to experience the benefits of gratitude, but the opposite is true. Gratitude itself can improve your outlook. It’s been shown to decrease depressive symptoms and even reduce suicidal ideation. It’s no wonder gratitude is often used as part of a larger strategy to treat depression and anxiety.

4. Higher self-esteem

Social media, celebrity news stories and constant advertising can cause us to compare ourselves to others, rather than appreciating the abundance in our own lives. This inevitably leads to envy, resentment and low self-esteem. Gratitude reverses those effects, reducing social comparisons and increasing our life gratification.

5. More inner strength

Think of someone who faces adversity with mental toughness and comes out stronger on the other side. Where do they find that inner strength? They may have discovered one of the psychological benefits of gratitude: better adaptive coping abilities. One famous study even found that gratitude contributed to resilience in the aftermath of 9/11. Even in the worst of circumstances, those who find things to be thankful for can find ways to dig deep and benefit from the strength they discover within themselves.

Physical health benefits of gratitude

In addition to the psychological effects like reduced stress and increased optimism, we also see many amazing health benefits of gratitude.

6. Better sleep

According to the CDC, one in three American adults doesn’t get enough sleep. That means they’re missing out on proven health benefits like reduced chances of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Gratitude can help. Those who rate themselves as more grateful report better sleep quality, longer sleep and a greater ability to fall asleep quickly.

7. Heart health

Perhaps it’s the sleep benefits that lead to this proven health benefit of gratitude: Studies have found numerous ways it improves heart health. Benefits include reduced inflammation, lower hemoglobin A1c and better heart rate variability – all indicators of good heart health. In addition to eating a healthy diet and exercising, gratitude may be just what your heart needs to stay strong.

8. More drive to exercise

While studying the benefits of gratitude, researchers got a surprising result: In addition to fewer headaches, reduced nausea and other positives, participants reported increased drive to exercise. And the health benefits of exercise are well-known. Leverage this new inspiration by finding a form of exercise you enjoy and making it a part of your daily routine.

9. Lower blood pressure

In a 2007 study that quickly became a classic, patients with hypertension who “counted their blessings” had lower blood pressure than those who didn’t. In another study, women writing in a gratitude journal for two weeks experienced lower blood pressure than women reporting on their daily activities. That’s right – one of the biggest benefits of gratitude is there for anyone who keeps a journal.

10. Healthier relationships

We intuitively know that friendships and romantic relationships are one of the best parts of life. Gratitude can help you keep those relationships strong. Expressing how thankful you are for your partner improves the quality of the relationship. And showing your friends appreciation can help you win even more new friends. These deep bonds help reduce loneliness and lengthen lifespan – some of the best health benefits of gratitude out there.

Spiritual benefits of gratitude

Spirituality is at the top of the Pyramid of Mastery: one of the most difficult areas of life to master, yet also the most fulfilling. Gratitude can help you get there.

11. Less jealousy

When you are grateful, there’s no room in your mind for negative emotions like fear, anger and jealousy. You know that you are living in complete abundance. You know you have everything you need. And you know you are in control of your own happiness. What others have doesn’t affect how you feel about your own life.

12. A connection to the universe

One of the unexpected spiritual benefits of gratitude is that it can make us feel more connected to each other and to the world. It gives us a fresh perspective on our lives, allowing us to find the blessing in every situation and realize that life is happening for us, not to us. It awakens a higher consciousness so that we can connect with the universe on a new level.

13. More drive to give back

Spirituality and contribution are together at the pinnacle of the Pyramid of Mastery. When we feel connected to the universe, we know that we are all one – and we are driven to give back to those less fortunate. Gratitude radiates out from our lives and creates a cycle that touches everyone around us.

The Transformative Power of Gratitude in Action

I want to leave you with a story that I often share at my events—a moment that changed my life and shaped my understanding of gratitude forever.When I was a kid, my family didn’t have much. In fact, there were times when we had no food for Thanksgiving. I remember one year in particular, sitting in our small apartment, feeling the weight of my family’s struggles. My parents were fighting, the energy was heavy, and I felt powerless. Then, out of nowhere, there was a knock at the door. A stranger stood there with a big box of food—a Thanksgiving meal for our family. I’ll never forget the look on my mother’s face, the relief, the gratitude, the hope that filled the room.

That moment taught me two things. First, that even in your darkest hour, there is always something to be grateful for. Second, that the true power of gratitude is not just in feeling it, but in sharing it. That act of kindness from a stranger didn’t just feed my body—it fed my soul. It planted a seed in me that would grow into a lifelong mission to give back, to serve, and to help others experience the same sense of hope and possibility.

Years later, when I was able, I started my own tradition of giving back—delivering food to families in need every Thanksgiving. What I discovered is that the more you give, the more you have to be grateful for. Gratitude multiplies. It’s a force that can transform your state, your relationships, your health, and your entire life.So, as you finish reading this, I want you to remember: gratitude is not just a feeling, it’s a decision. It’s a muscle you build every day, especially when life gets tough. When you choose to focus on what’s right, when you appreciate the small things, when you express thanks to others, you change your story—and you change your destiny.

No matter where you are right now, you have the power to shift your focus, to find the gift in any situation, and to let gratitude guide your actions. Start today. Make gratitude your foundation, and you’ll discover a life filled with more joy, more love, and more meaning than you ever thought possible.Live with passion, and remember: life is always happening for you, not to you. Gratitude is the key that unlocks that truth.