Can practicing gratitude really make you smarter. Yes, actually it can! Read on to find out how.
Neuroscientists have discovered that people who practice gratitude have more grey matter in the Right Inferior Temporal Gyrus- for those of you who are not brain surgeons: the part glowing neon blue.
https://whyy.org/segments/your-brain-on-gratitude-how-a-neuroscientist-used-his-research-to-heal-from-grief/
What does this part of our brains do? This is the part of the brain responsible for risk aversion and impulse control and making more intelligent choices.
We all know, especially if you read my last post, that gratitude makes us happier by fostering positive thinking. A habit of positive thinking adjusts our perspective to keep an eye out for the good things in life, and in return we are happier by the things we experience. Research has indicated that about 40% of the happiness we experience is based on decisions we make. Happiness is also proven to increase neuroplasticity, which is our ability to learn new information. Happiness also produces a state of mind allowing for better critical thinking, alertness and more creativity.
Gratitude also releases dopamine and serotonin - The happiness chemicals. Researchers have recently discovered that these brain chemicals are not only responsible for happiness but they also play a major role in the decision making process, helping us make better choices about our well-being.
Another area of the brain that gratitude lights up is the Anterior Insular Cortex, also known as the Bliss Center.
Photo: SuperStock/Corbis
The Bliss Center is responsible, not only for feelings of extreme happiness, but also for Present Moment Awareness. This is particularly helpful for people who suffer from PTSD, anxiety or depression. Depression is commonly understood to be emotional attachment to the past. Anxiety is fear and uncertainty about the future. Gratitude then, is about being present in the moment. It’s no coincidence that the Bliss Center, fueled by gratitude, regulates our own mind-body connection, the ability to feel empathy, and enhance moral intuition. All of these traits are linked to EQ, our Emotional Intelligence.
We would all agree that stress makes us stupid. When you are stressed out you are more likely to forget your coffee on the top of your car, put your keys in the freezer, say something you don’t really mean or forget how to spell our own name. Keeping a daily gratitude journal or reciting daily gratitude affirmations can actually help us be less stupid. Gratitude helps regulate stress hormones. The positive side effects of less stress are:
Better sleep- which is linked to better cognitive function.
Better sex- improves mental performance and memory.
Healthier weight regulation- yes there is a link between weight and intelligence.
Reduced pain- chronic pain degrades cognitive function.
Releases Toxic Emotions such as: bitterness, resentment, anger, guilt, shame, jealousy, loneliness, fear, rejection and many more. People who operate from toxic emotions are shown to have low emotional intelligence and low cognitive function.
Just try it, you might actually like it!
Gratitude Journaling: Studies have shown that writing in gratitude journal for 21 days made noticeable differences in brain scans, and the development of neural pathways to key brain regions for intelligence.
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