Sarah's Health Notes: The power of feeling grateful

Monday morning as I write this and when I woke up, the fog was low over the valley, the drizzle was that intensely wetting type that leaves hair frizzy and clothes soaked through, plus I had a pile of work. But…. But… my husband appeared with a cup of tea, followed by our dog Cassie, a.k.a. the joy bundle, who smothered me with delighted kisses, and I read a sweet article about the free-to-use app, With Gratitude, launched by singer/actress/new mum Suki Waterhouse and her bestie Poppy Jamie, TV presenter turned entrepreneur.

Having moved to Los Angeles, Suki was feeling isolated from friends and family in London. In autumn 2023, between concerts on a US tour, she wrote a list of the little things she was grateful for that day and sent it to Poppy, asking her to do the same. ‘I started doing this as a way to stay connected, and as a way of sharing things that deepened that connection,’ Suki told The Times. Family and friends joined in, it became an online community and the duo decided to create an app.

It’s charming, simple and, as I said, free. The idea is to list 10 things each day – as simple as you like – and share them with your ‘bubble’. If you think ten’s a bit of a tall order, just try it. I found ten before breakfast even though, truth be told, I was feeling quite cross over a couple of work things. (The canine joy bundle and cup of tea in bed came top of the list… plus the shimmering amber and red of the acer outside my window, remembering paddling on the wet sand at nearby Lyme Regis the day before, coffee fudge from a fair, spending her birthday with my much-loved niece and her girlfriend, and intense gratefulness at not being in a war zone).

You might think deciding to practice being grateful is a bit Pollyanna. Maybe even a bit woo-woo. But, perhaps surprisingly, there’s a stack of serious research, much of it recent, into the science of how gratitude affects your brain. Whether you appreciate a fleeting moment of joy – a ‘glimmer’, as I wrote about earlier here - or rather longer to shift your mindset from grumpy negative to positively grateful, the sensation triggers certain brain regions to fire up. Typical results are to lower cortisol, the stress hormone, to boost feel good hormones dopamine and serotonin, better sleep, reduced blood pressure, and a few extra ‘thank yous’, counting your blessings and noticing the good things around you through the day may even help your brain work better.

I’m not sure about the cognitive benefits - although I have got a lot done today - but when I polished off the list I did feel, well, nicer. And that’s lasted to the evening. I’m prone to lose my sense of humour when things are piling in, but even that seemed to stick around. When you come down to it, being nicer, softer and jollier does make a difference to people around you and that’s a virtuous circle…

Download the app here for iPhone (or join the Android waitlist)