← The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Grateful Expectations

Jan 13, 2020 26m 59s 15 insights
<p>Grit and determination to change your habits can only get you so far... if you want to be happier you have to stop and think about how nice people have been to you and how nice you can be to them in return. This circle of gratitude - the science suggests - will also make you a better friend to one of the most important people in your life... your future self.</p><p>Dr Laurie Santos investigates this effect with Northeastern University's Prof David DeSteno - author of Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride.</p><p>For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit <a href="https://www.happinesslab.fm/">happinesslab.fm</a></p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>
Actionable Insights

1. Avoid Sole Reliance on Willpower

Do not solely depend on willpower to achieve long-term goals, as it is a fragile tool that often fails when challenges arise and can lead to stress and premature aging.

2. Harness Gratitude for Goals

Utilize emotions like gratitude to achieve long-term goals and protect your future self, as it is a more effective and less stressful strategy than relying solely on willpower.

3. Make Gratitude a Habit

Intentionally integrate gratitude into your daily routine until it becomes a habit, as this practice broadly enhances your ability to achieve long-term goals across all areas of life.

4. Curate Emotional Life

Actively manage your emotional state by intentionally focusing on positive feelings and paying attention to people who help you, rather than letting emotions happen passively.

5. Cultivate Moral Emotions

Develop moral emotions such as gratitude, compassion, and authentic pride, as these foster selflessness and cooperation, leading to long-term success and strong relationships.

6. Pursue Success via Gratitude

Actively cultivate gratitude as a path to success, as it enhances self-control, patience, and perseverance while simultaneously improving relationships and building a supportive social network.

7. Practice Gratitude for Health

Regularly engage in gratitude practices to improve physical health markers such as sleep quality, blood pressure, and cholesterol, while also reducing stress reactivity and enhancing overall mental well-being.

8. Daily Gratitude Reflections

Dedicate a few minutes daily to reflect on things you are grateful for, or maintain a gratitude diary, to cultivate a stronger sense of gratitude.

9. Vary Gratitude Focus

When practicing gratitude, intentionally focus on a variety of small, everyday things and acts of kindness to prevent habituation and maintain the practice’s effectiveness.

10. Savor Moments of Gratitude

When someone helps you, pause and intentionally focus on the feeling of gratitude for a few minutes to curate positive emotions and shift your perspective.

11. Implement Reciprocity Ring

Create a “reciprocity ring” in your group by having members write down needs, then others offer help, and crucially, follow through on providing that assistance to foster a culture of gratitude and mutual support.

12. Practice Selflessness, Control Gratification

Engage in selfless behaviors and control desires for immediate gratification, as this approach leads to greater success over the long term.

13. Pay Gratitude Forward

When you experience gratitude, extend that positive feeling by helping others, as this creates a beneficial cycle and is a successful long-term strategy.

14. Express Gratitude at Work

Express gratitude in professional settings to significantly boost productivity, encourage harder work, and foster a positive, less stressful work environment.

15. Invest Effort with Gratitude

Cultivate gratitude in your professional life to increase your willingness to invest effort and engage in deeper thought, leading to improved performance and outcomes.