Thank Your Body: How Gratitude Supports Better Health
Last week, we talked about how gratitude changes the mind — how noticing small joys can literally rewire your brain.
This week, we’re taking that same feeling one step deeper — into the body.
A few years ago, when I was recovering from a minor surgery, I caught myself feeling impatient with how long healing was taking. Then one morning, I looked in the mirror and quietly said, “Thank you.”
Not to anyone else — to my body.
It felt strange at first… and then powerful.
My body — the same one I’d often criticized — was still working for me: repairing, breathing, balancing, carrying. I just hadn’t noticed.
Most of us are like that. We only notice the body when it hurts or struggles.
That’s not failure — it’s how the human brain evolved.
Our ancestors survived by noticing what was wrong: pain, hunger, threat. The brain still pays more attention to danger signals than to comfort or pleasure. Scientists call this the negativity bias.
But gratitude gives the body — and the brain — a new instruction:
“Look for what’s right.”
When you do, your physiology begins to shift. Muscles loosen, breath slows, blood pressure drops. The body feels heard.
And the best part? This shift doesn’t take hours of meditation — it starts in moments.
✨ In today’s member edition:
• The simple science behind how gratitude calms the heart, nerves, and digestion
• Easy “Thank Your Body” rituals you can do anywhere
• Somatic gratitude practices that help you feel calm from the inside out
• A gentle check-in on your 30-Day Gratitude Challenge