10/10/2026
“A healthy mind in a healthy body” is why psychologists and physicians alike recommend sensible eating and regular exercise.
Neuroscientists, however, recommend a different approach. Because they know that body-centric lifestyle changes (like diet and exercise) are difficult to maintain, they recommend starting with the mind. And they’ve identified the one thought that, when regularly focused upon, is most likely to propel your mind and body into an upward spiral.
That thought? Gratitude.
1. Gratitude makes you more likely to exercise.
According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people who keep gratitude journals “reported fewer health complaints, more time exercising, and fewer symptoms of physical illness.”
2. Gratitude reduces your stress level.
According to a study published by National Center for Biotechnology Information “cultivating appreciation and other positive emotions showed lower levels of stress hormones [specifically] a 23 percent reduction in cortisol and 100 percent increase in DHEA/DHEAS levels.”
3. Gratitude improves the quality of your sleep.
According to a study conducted at the University of Manchester and published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, regularly focusing on gratitude and thankfulness “improved quality of sleep and [resulted in] longer sleep hours.”
EXPERT OPINION BY GEOFFREY JAMES, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, INC.COM
