The Power of Gratitude: How Practicing Thankfulness Supports Your Mental Health

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us naturally begin to reflect on the idea of gratitude. But beyond holiday tradition, an important question arises: 

Can practicing gratitude actually improve mental health?

Decades of psychological and neurological research say yes—and the effects are powerful.

 What the Research Says About Gratitude & Mental Health

Gratitude isn’t just a pleasant emotion. It’s a mental health intervention supported by strong scientific evidence.

1. Gratitude Changes the Brain

Studies from UC Berkeley and Indiana University have found that regular gratitude practice increases activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in emotional regulation and long-term well-being.

Over time, this helps shift the brain away from threat-based thinking and toward noticing moments of safety, connection, and meaning.

2. Gratitude Improves Mood and Reduces Symptoms

Research by Emmons & McCullough shows that people who consistently engage in gratitude practices experience:

• Lower symptoms of anxiety
• Reduced depression
• Improved sleep quality
• Increased optimism
• Better overall emotional resilience

Just a few minutes a day can start creating measurable improvements in mood.

3. Gratitude Strengthens Relationships

Expressing appreciation builds trust, warmth, and emotional closeness.

For couples, families, and even parent–child relationships, gratitude can ease conflict, deepen connection, and enhance emotional safety.

 Gratitude in Everyday Life

Gratitude does not mean ignoring your struggles or minimizing pain.

You can hold both gratitude and difficult emotions at the same time—many people do.

Instead, gratitude helps gently guide the mind to notice what is also good, stable, supportive, or meaningful. This can create a sense of balance, hope, and emotional grounding.

Here are a few simple ways to integrate gratitude into daily life:

• Three Good Things before bed
• Writing a weekly gratitude letter to someone who has supported you
• Keeping a small gratitude journal
• Mindful moments, such as noticing warmth from a cup of tea or sunlight through a window

These practices retrain your brain to recognize positive cues more easily.

 Helping Children Practice Gratitude

Children benefit tremendously from gratitude practices, too. It helps with emotional regulation, empathy, and social connection—skills that shape lifelong mental health.

Here are kid-friendly gratitude activities:

1. The Gratitude Jar

Each day, kids add a note describing something good:

“My friend shared a toy with me” or “I loved playing outside today.”

2. Gratitude Drawing

For children who struggle with writing, drawing what they’re thankful for can be just as powerful.

3. Family Thank-You Rituals

Choose a moment each day—dinnertime, bedtime, or the car ride home—to share one thing everyone is grateful for.

4. Play-Based Gratitude

Using dolls, puppets, or stuffed animals, children can practice giving and receiving appreciation in a fun, low-pressure way.

These simple steps help kids build emotional resilience and strengthen secure, healthy relationships.

 A Thanksgiving Reflection

As we enter Thanksgiving week, it’s a meaningful time to pause and reflect—not just on what we’re grateful for, but on how cultivating gratitude supports our mental and emotional health.

At Bright Pine Behavioral Health, we are deeply grateful for our patients, their trust, and their willingness to show up and do the brave work of healing, learning, and growing. Your progress inspires us every day.

If you or your child would like more support with anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, or strengthening family relationships, our clinicians are here to help. To schedule an appointment, click here. 

Wishing you a warm, peaceful, and grounded Thanksgiving.

With gratitude,

Bright Pine Behavioral Health