It's easy to get wrapped up in all the things you don't like about your life, but there's a good reason to flip the focus; Research shows practicing gratitude is an easy way to improve overall health and happiness.
Your action plan: Start today by remembering any experience that recently made you happy—the birthday card you got from an old friend, the compliment your colleague gave you, or the tasty new recipe you cooked for dinner. "When negative events happen, people who regularly practice gratitude cope more positively," says Alex Wood, Ph.D., senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Manchester in the U.K. "They're less likely to run away from the problem or pretend that it's not happening."
