insta_photosWhen Melissa’s father died unexpectedly, grief consumed her. She often woke to her heart racing in the middle of the night, and her thoughts were difficult to shut off. Out of desperation, she tried something that felt almost trivial: writing down three things she was grateful for each night.

It seemed pointless at first, but within a few weeks, she started feeling less anxious and her days began to look a little brighter. Gratitude did not erase her grief, but changed the way her mind processed it.

Scientists are now discovering why. Recent research shows that gratitude doesn’t just make people feel better, it can physically change the brain in ways that reduce stress, strengthen emotional resilience, and improve long-term mental health.Where Gratitude Lives in the BrainEmerging neuroscience is providing a clearer picture of why gratitude has such a steadying effect on the mind. A major decade-old brain-scan study found that the feeling of gratitude activates the brain region responsible for managing emotions.Since then, researchers have consistently backed up those results. A 2017 imaging study found that practicing gratitude strengthened activity in the brain’s reward centers—the areas that reinforce positive behaviors like cooperation and patience.We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.