A scientifically groundbreaking, eloquent look at how we benefit -- psychologically, physically, and interpersonally -- when we practice gratitude Did you know that there is a crucial component of happiness that is often overlooked? In Thanks , Robert Emmons draws on the first major study of the subject of gratitude, of "wanting what we have," and shows that a systematic cultivation of this underexamined emotion can measurably change people's lives. Readers will discover how - People who regularly practice grateful thinking can increase their "set-point" for happiness by as much as 25 percent. - Such increases can be sustained over a period of months, challenging the previously held notion that our "set-point" is frozen at birth. - Keeping a gratitude journal for as little as three weeks can result in better sleep and more energy. Emmons also reaches beyond science to bolster the case for gratitude by weaving in the writings of philosophers, novelists, and theologians.Thanks inspires readers to embrace gratitude and all the benefits it can bring into their lives.

Anyone who has ever entrusted a troubling secret to a journal, or mourned a broken heart with a friend, knows the feeling of relief that expressing painful emotions can bring. This book presents astonishing evidence that personal self-disclosure is not only good for our emotional health, but boosts our physical health as well. In controlled clinical research funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, psychologists James W. Pennebaker sheds new light on the powerful mind/body connection. Dr Pennebaker asks ordinary people to discuss their most difficult memories - including traumatic experiences they have never revealed to a soul - and traces the medical effects of this disclosure. The book interweaves the resulting data with insightful case studies on secret-keeping, confession and the hidden price of silence. Filled with information and encouragement, Opening Up explains: Why suppressing inner problems takes a devastating toll on health How long-buried trauma affects the immune system How writing about your problems can improve your health Why it's never too late to heal old emotional wounds When self-disclosure may be risky - and how to know whom to trust This book would appeal to readers interested in understanding the relationship between emotional and physical health, and in minimizing the harmful effects of stress. Written for a general audience, the book also contains much of value to practitioners and students of psychology and psychotherapy.