Why Gratitude Matters for your Mental Health?
Julia Davies
Why gratitude matters for self-care & mental health
Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated. One simple tool to add to your toolkit? Gratitude.
😊 What is gratitude & why it matters
Gratitude is all about recognising the good in our lives and acknowledging it. According to research, practising gratitude isn’t just a “nice extra” – it actually links to better mental and emotional wellbeing. Psychology Today. For instance, a systematic review of gratitude interventions found that people engaging in such practices experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and better mood overall. PubMed
🌍 What UK stats tell us
In the UK, national well-being indicators show a drop in life satisfaction, happiness and increased anxiety in recent years. For example:
Average life satisfaction dropped to 7.45/10 in the year ending March 2023. Office for National Statistics
The charity Mental Health Foundation found that 63 % of UK adults say when people are kind to them, it positively impacts their mental health (and also 63 % say being kind to others helps). (Mental Health Foundation) While this isn’t gratitude per se, it’s closely aligned: feeling valued, acknowledging kindness and reflecting on the good. When you look at the broader evidence on gratitude-specific interventions: in worker populations a review found gratitude lists significantly improved perceived stress and depression. PubMed
🧠 How gratitude supports self-care & mental health
Shifts focus — Instead of getting stuck in “What’s wrong?”, gratitude helps us notice “What’s going right?”. That switch helps counter getting caught in negative thinking, which is common when we are feeling low.
Boosts resilience — Practising gratitude builds an inner “we’ve-coped-before” mindset. When we’ve recognised what’s good, even small things, we’re better equipped for tougher times. Psychology Today
Supports connections — Gratitude often involves others: saying “thank you”, noticing kindness. That strengthens relationships and social support, which are key to mental health.
Easy to implement — A quick “gratitude list” or simply pausing to acknowledge one thing you’re grateful for takes 2-3 minutes and can become a gentle habit.
📝 A quick gratitude habit you can try
Tonight, before bed: write down three things you’re grateful for today — no matter how small (e.g., “a warm cup of tea”, “a smile from a colleague”, “a moment outside”). Do this for one week and notice what changes in how you feel.
🔑 Final thought
If self-care feels heavy or overwhelming, remember: you don’t always need big actions. Gratitude is a low-cost, evidence-informed habit that supports mental health, resilience and wellbeing. It’s not a cure-all, but when paired with other good practices (sleep, movement, connection) it’s a valuable piece of the puzzle.
Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated. One simple tool to add to your toolkit? Gratitude.
😊 What is gratitude & why it matters
Gratitude is all about recognising the good in our lives and acknowledging it. According to research, practising gratitude isn’t just a “nice extra” – it actually links to better mental and emotional wellbeing. Psychology Today. For instance, a systematic review of gratitude interventions found that people engaging in such practices experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and better mood overall. PubMed
🌍 What UK stats tell us
In the UK, national well-being indicators show a drop in life satisfaction, happiness and increased anxiety in recent years. For example:
Average life satisfaction dropped to 7.45/10 in the year ending March 2023. Office for National Statistics
The charity Mental Health Foundation found that 63 % of UK adults say when people are kind to them, it positively impacts their mental health (and also 63 % say being kind to others helps). (Mental Health Foundation) While this isn’t gratitude per se, it’s closely aligned: feeling valued, acknowledging kindness and reflecting on the good. When you look at the broader evidence on gratitude-specific interventions: in worker populations a review found gratitude lists significantly improved perceived stress and depression. PubMed
🧠 How gratitude supports self-care & mental health
Shifts focus — Instead of getting stuck in “What’s wrong?”, gratitude helps us notice “What’s going right?”. That switch helps counter getting caught in negative thinking, which is common when we are feeling low.
Boosts resilience — Practising gratitude builds an inner “we’ve-coped-before” mindset. When we’ve recognised what’s good, even small things, we’re better equipped for tougher times. Psychology Today
Supports connections — Gratitude often involves others: saying “thank you”, noticing kindness. That strengthens relationships and social support, which are key to mental health.
Easy to implement — A quick “gratitude list” or simply pausing to acknowledge one thing you’re grateful for takes 2-3 minutes and can become a gentle habit.
📝 A quick gratitude habit you can try
Tonight, before bed: write down three things you’re grateful for today — no matter how small (e.g., “a warm cup of tea”, “a smile from a colleague”, “a moment outside”). Do this for one week and notice what changes in how you feel.
🔑 Final thought
If self-care feels heavy or overwhelming, remember: you don’t always need big actions. Gratitude is a low-cost, evidence-informed habit that supports mental health, resilience and wellbeing. It’s not a cure-all, but when paired with other good practices (sleep, movement, connection) it’s a valuable piece of the puzzle.