Why gratitude works.

The research behind our ten reasons

Each reason on our home page comes from a published study. Here is what the researchers did, what they found, and what it means for G-Day.

1. REASON 01 OF 10Kindness trumps sadness.Thanking someone in person beat every other happiness exercise tested, and the glow lasted a month.Read
2. REASON 02 OF 10They’ll love it more than you think.We underestimate how happy a thank-you makes people, and overestimate how awkward it feels.Read
3. REASON 03 OF 10Giving beats keeping.Spending a little on someone else lifts your mood more than spending it on yourself.Read
4. REASON 04 OF 10It works everywhere.The joy of giving shows up in rich and poor countries alike, across 136 countries.Read
5. REASON 05 OF 10A thank-you doubles kindness.People who are thanked are twice as likely to help again.Read
6. REASON 06 OF 10One kind act becomes three.Generosity spreads from person to person, up to three people away.Read
7. REASON 07 OF 10Grateful people sleep better.End the day on a thankful thought and you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.Read
8. REASON 08 OF 10Grateful people feel better and move more.Noting what you are thankful for each week brings more optimism, more exercise and fewer aches.Read
9. REASON 09 OF 10Gratitude turns familiar faces into real connections.Say what you noticed: a nod becomes a hello, and a hello becomes a friend.Read
10. REASON 10 OF 10Gratitude makes you kinder.Feeling thankful makes people readier to help others, even a stranger, even when it costs them.Read

Gratitude, day to day

• GRATITUDE, DAY TO DAYA ten-day gratitude warm-up.Ten small steps, one a day, that lead you gently to G-Day, or carry it on afterwards.Read
• GRATITUDE, DAY TO DAYEmbracing the little things.The people who make our days work are often the ones we walk past.Read
• GRATITUDE, DAY TO DAYCan you say thank you ten times in one day?A few simple ways to make each thank-you feel personal, and easy.Read