A new poll suggests that expressing gratitude may be the key to happiness.
The random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans investigated the potential link between gratitude and happiness, discovering that 65% of respondents who reported being “very happy” on a daily basis were more likely to “always” give thanks.
When asked about the relationship between life satisfaction and gratitude, one-third of those polled said they “always” express gratitude in their daily lives. Sixty-two percent of those polled said they were “very satisfied” with their lives.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Motivosity, also discovered that respondents believe they express gratitude to others about six times per month – and that they receive the same amount of appreciation in return.
Regionally, residents in the southwest (75%), northeast (74%), and midwest (73%), as well as those in the southeast (68%) and west coast (63%), were more likely to express gratitude than others surveyed in the county.
“There’s a dramatic correlation between gratitude and happiness,” said Logan Mallory, vice president of marketing at Motivosity. “When people are proactive about being grateful, it rewires their brain to look for positives instead of the negatives around them.
“Previous studies and these survey results tell us that if you want to experience an increase in life satisfaction, just express gratitude more often!”
Respondents express gratitude to their spouses or partners (28%), family members (26%), and friends (24%), with bosses (17%) and coworkers (15%) trailing behind.
With bosses and coworkers ranking low on the list of people to express gratitude to, it’s not surprising that only 18% of employed respondents feel appreciated at work.
