ARTICLE

How to Maintain Happiness?

Eight Ways to Practice Gratitude!

10-min read

Updated on 2026-7-30

Author: AIA Content Editorial Team

Do you often get angry over small things? Frequently feel frustrated? Life in fast-paced urban environments can easily lead to stress and anxiety, making it hard to slow down and appreciate life. Gradually, the beauty in life gets overlooked. Many positive psychology studies highlight that practicing gratitude can effectively enhance happiness and positive emotions. Taking a little time daily to practice gratitude can not only relieve stress and calm your mind but also boost your happiness.

What Is Positive Psychology?

Positive Psychology is often described as the "science of Happiness." It goes beyond focusing only on the treatment of mental illness and instead emphasizes the study of personal strengths, positive emotions, and virtues. Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman proposed a well-known happiness formula ¹: H = S + C + V.

S (Set Range): About 50% of our sense of Happiness comes from our inborn emotional baseline.
C (Circumstances): Real-life situations and external conditions account for only about 10% to 20%.
V (Voluntary Control): The remaining 40% depends on our personal agency, including our thinking patterns and how we interpret events.

This means that even if circumstances are hard to change, we can still significantly increase our Happiness through voluntary actions such as positive thinking and practicing Gratitude—in other words, to practice gratitude and strengthen gratitude and happiness.

How Does Gratitude Enhance Happiness?

Gratitude is a positive psychological attitude, embodying a heart full of appreciation or thankfulness, which is a core concept in positive psychology. It helps us notice the "little joys" in life, such as reuniting with an old friend or a kind gesture from a stranger. Emma Seppälä, the Science Director of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, points out that while many things can bring temporary happiness, this "instant gratification" often fades quickly, leaving us wanting more². In contrast, the happiness derived from gratitude is lasting and sustainable, helping us focus more on positive aspects of life.

Why Do We Often Feel Unhappy? Understanding the Brain's "Negativity Bias"

As the human brain evolved for survival, it developed a tendency known as Negativity Bias. Even when positive and negative experiences are equally strong, negative ones tend to have a greater impact on our daily lives. ³. This helps explain why we may overlook five compliments, yet keep thinking about a single criticism.

Through Gratitude practice, we can consciously shift our attention away from negative experiences or losses, training the brain to become a "processor" that is better at creating joy, reinforcing positive experiences, and supporting gratitude and happiness.

Benefits of Gratitude

Several scientific studies have shown that gratitude can enhance happiness, helping people shift attention away from negative experiences, thereby reducing depression. Expressing gratitude to others can also strengthen relationships and improve likability ⁴. The benefits of gratitude don't end there.

Enhancing Empathy

According to a study by researchers at the University of Southern California, gratitude not only makes people happier but also enhances empathy. The researchers stated that gratitude can boost activity in brain regions responsible for emotional processing, social bonding, rewarding social interactions, and moral judgment ⁵. They believe that practicing gratitude can be an effective intervention for improving interpersonal relationships and social-emotional skills.

Improving Mental Health

A study published in the Psychotherapy Research journal found that writing thank-you letters can significantly improve mental health. The study involved 300 adult participants, and it was found that those who wrote thank-you letters showed improvements in mental health indicators such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Gratitude helps people focus on more positive emotions, thereby improving mental health ⁶. Moreover, the study revealed that people who practiced gratitude had more active medial prefrontal cortex regions, which are associated with learning and decision-making functions ⁷. This suggests that gratitude has a lasting positive impact on the brain.

Promoting Cardiovascular Health

Dr. Wendy Mendes from the University of California conducted a study indicating that gratitude is related to blood concentration and other risk factors that may lead to cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, gratitude can reduce negative emotions and enhance impulse control, helping to avoid overeating and promoting better dietary habits, ultimately leading to a healthier body.

Better Sleep

According to research by psychologists Robert A. Emmons and Michael McCullough, people who practice gratitude tend to think less about negative things before sleep and more about the enjoyable things they did that day, which calms the nervous system and leads to better sleep ⁸.

How to Practice Gratitude?

Having discussed the numerous benefits of gratitude, you may wonder how to become a grateful person. Gratitude can indeed be cultivated through practice:

1. Write a Gratitude Journal

Regularly keeping a gratitude journal helps cultivate a positive outlook on life. Write down things you are grateful for every day, whether big or small. Record acts of kindness, things that made you feel appreciative, or moments that brought you joy. This practice can help you focus more on the positives in life ⁹. Psychologist Barton Goldsmith suggests using gratitude journals to help patients with depression, as it effectively harnesses positive emotions. You can also write a self-appreciation letter which helps maintain a positive mindset even in adversity.

2. Express Gratitude to Others

Expressing thanks to others not only brightens their day but also brings satisfaction to yourself. You can write letters to express your gratitude or show appreciation through small daily gestures like treating someone to coffee or giving a small gift. This not only strengthens interpersonal relationships but also helps you gain more friends ¹⁰.

3. Make a Gratitude Jar¹¹

Regularly write down events that make you feel grateful on slips of paper and place them in a jar. This simple act can constantly remind you of the good things in life and provide comfort and joy during difficult times.

4. Practice Meditation

Meditation helps improve focus, relax the mind and body, and enhance self-awareness. By paying attention to the present moment, you can more easily recognize the good things in life, such as the rhythm of your breath or the fragrance of flowers, and feel grateful for them. Meditation can also help you appreciate the present moment, reduce anxiety, and reinforce a grateful mindset and mindfulness.

5. "Downward Comparison"¹²

Making downward comparisons about basic needs—such as food, clothing, and housing—can help us notice the protections we often take for granted and feel Gratitude for the resources we already have. Shifting attention from what is "lacking" to what is already "present", this mindset supports psychological satisfaction, strengthens gratitude and happiness, and contributes positively to gratitude and mental health, helping you remain rational and composed when planning for future protection and security, without being driven by fear or anxiety.

6. Engage in Mindful Walking¹³

Studies show that people who engage in mindful walking experience a significant increase in happiness within a week. Mindful walking involves slowing down, attentively observing the surroundings, and sensing the sounds and scents around you. You can take walks in the countryside on weekends or stroll around your neighborhood during weekdays to discover new perspectives.

7. Practice Mindful Eating¹⁴

Slow down while eating, chew your food thoroughly, and savor its taste. By chewing carefully, you can deeply appreciate the flavors and textures of the food and listen to your body. Simple mindful eating practices can help establish a more positive relationship with food, making each meal a moment of gratitude.

8. Read Positive Articles or Books

In your leisure time, read positive books to understand and build an optimistic outlook on life from different perspectives. Appreciate everything you have, such as friends, family, health, and financial stability. AIA Insurance offers various savings plans to protect the fruits of your hard work, helping you appreciate what you have even more. This also aids in managing life's uncertainties.

Practicing gratitude is not difficult. Slow down, be attentive, and gradually practice. Eventually, you will embark on a journey to happiness through gratitude.

Maintaining good physical and mental well-being is the foundation for long-term health. Beyond psychological practices, reviewing your [Comprehensive Health Protection] at the right time can help you stay calmer and prepared when facing life's uncertainties—giving you more space to appreciate the good moments in everyday life and Maintain Happiness.

Common Questions About Gratitude Practices FAQs

Gratitude does not ask us to ignore pain or force ourselves to forget the reality of hardship. Instead, it is like putting on a pair of "gratitude glasses," helping us widen our perspective and notice small but still-present good things even in suffering, without denying or suppressing difficult emotions. In psychology, this approach is known as "positive framing," which helps us shift our attention from "loss" to "gain." This is also part of how to practice gratitude realistically, and it can support gratitude and mental health, including gratitude for anxiety.

Gratitude is a personal trait that requires long-term "training." To experience the benefits of gratitude and gradually enhance happiness, it is recommended to practice regularly and try different ways to practice gratitude to avoid mental fatigue—for example, switching from gratitude journaling to writing a gratitude letter.

Practicing Gratitude can help reduce negativity bias, allowing us to view problems with a broader and more rational perspective, which in turn improves our ability to handle challenges. This is very different from blind optimism.

^1. The University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education： Feature: Positive Psychology - the science of happiness [Online information] Source：https://hkuspace.hku.hk/edm/2013/Aug/feature_chi.html [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^2. Times.2017. 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude [Online information] Source：https://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/ [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^3. TNL The News Lens.《心理摩擦力》：負面經驗的衝擊，比同等程度的正面時光還要強上五倍 [Online information] Source：https://www.thenewslens.com/article/187400 [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^4. Greater Good.2010. Why Gratitude Is Good？ [Online information] Source：https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^5. Greater Good.2017. How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. [Online information] Source：https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^6. Greater Good.2014. How Does Gratitude Affect Health and Aging？ [Online information] Source：https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video/item/how_does_gratitude_affect_health_and_aging [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^7. Greater Good.2015. What Does a Grateful Brain Look Like？ [Online information] Source：https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_does_a_grateful_brain_look_like [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^8. APA PsycNet. 2003. Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.[Online information] Source：https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-01140-012 [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^9. Harvard Health Publishing. 2021. Giving thanks can make you happier. [Online information] Source：https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^10.Forbes. 2018. Five Science-Backed Ways To Practice Gratitude Every Day. [Online information] Source：https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/11/21/five-science-backed-ways-to-practice-gratitude-every-day/ [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^11. Calm. 2023. 10 ways to practice gratitude and the benefits [Online information] Source：https://www.calm.com/blog/how-to-practice-gratitude [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^12. TNL The News Lens. 自己條件怎樣差，也要比別人好？讓比較化成動力 [Online information] Source：https://www.thenewslens.com/article/142215 [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^13. Greater Good.2022. Savoring Walk. [Online information] Source：https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/savoring_walk [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

^14. Harvard Health Publishing. 2011. Mindful Eating. [Online information] Source：https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindful-eating [Accessed on January 29, 2026]

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