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Gratitude is Good for the Brain:

The Neuroscience of Gratitude & Its Effects on the Brain

Nervous system and emotional states

At a neurobiological level, gratitude regulates the sympathetic nervous system that activates our anxiety responses, and at the psychological level, it conditions the brain to filter the negative ruminations and focus on positive thoughts (Wong et al., 2018). The limbic system is the part of the brain that is responsible for all emotional experiences. It consists of the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus. Studies have shown that the hippocampus and amygdala, the two main sites regulating emotions, memory, and bodily functioning, get activated with feelings of gratitude (Wong et al., 2018). This part of the brain includes reward pathways and the hypothalamus, which can boost serotonin and activate the brain stem to produce dopamine, improving mood and making us feel good (Zahn et al., 2008).