The word "thank you" has a strong emotional load, being most often used to express a special experience that Esop says is the virtue of noble souls, namely, gratitude.
Unfortunately, we notice quite easily in the present society the negative effects of a lower degree of the gratitude or total lack of it in the lives of some of us.
From a scientific point of view, however, we have every reason to reconsider the particular importance of gratitude, which greatly contributes to the improvement of the quality of our social life and, more importantly, to the well-being of each of us.
Scientists, psychologists, representatives of philosophy and religion alike, argue that gratitude is an essential element in a happy and implicitly longevous life.
A study done at Davis University in California shows that grateful people have higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. By following the same idea, the American Psychologists Association has also initiated a study where It is reported that patients with asymptomatic heart failure who have held a gratitude journal have experienced a significant decrease in inflammation levels but also an improvement in cardiac health. More than 180 people, male and female, participated in this study and each had to keep a thank-you diary for at least eight weeks. The researchers found that those who regularly filled these agendas reduced their circulation on inflammatory biomarkers and improved cardiac function. "It seems that a grateful heart is indeed a healthier heart and that gratitude logos are an easy way to support heart health," said Paul J. Mills, professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California.
Also, gratitude helps protect the couple's relationship and avoid separation or divorce. "Even if a couple is confronted with stress and difficulty in other areas, gratitude in relationships can help promote marital positive outcomes," said Allen Barton, a researcher at the UGA Center for Family Research.
All of these studies make us say without mistaking that for a healthy life it is recommended to say "THANK YOU" as many times a day.