Want to exercise more and sleep better? Try taking some time out to reflect upon things in your life that fill you with gratitude.

Want to exercise more and sleep better? Try taking some time out to reflect upon things in your life that fill you with gratitude. According to recent research, it helps promote both healthy behaviors.

Focusing on life’s lucky breaks, good friends, and cherished moments has also been linked to better stress management, fewer bouts of depression, and decreased instances of addiction.

According to one paper recently published, “Gratitude is strongly related to all aspects of well-being.”

In another study, two researchers found that those who wrote down a few sentences a week outlining what they appreciated most were more motivated to get active. They also took fewer trips to the doctor.

The research involved splitting participants into two groups, each of which were given writing assignments but with different topics.

One was asked to write a couple of sentences about what they were thankful for. The other was told to focus on aggravating matters.

After 10 weeks of writing, the researchers found that expressions of gratitude led to the emergence of other positive behaviors. Those who had to focus on the negative aspects of their experiences did not enjoy similar results.