They say kindness makes the heart grow fonder, but gratitude makes the heart grow stronger. Studies show individuals who exercise appreciation for the things they have in their lives, no matter how small or ordinary those things may be, are happier. Aspects of this healthy life are less aggressive feelings and lower violent tendencies. Being grateful for life’s gifts changes perspectives, and this, in turn, alters the way we perceive circumstances.

When you feel grateful, you’re more inclined to be helpful to those around you, which creates an attitude of self-value. Feeling connected with other human beings who need you increases self-confidence, and, in turn, reduces the risk of feeling depressed. Take it a step further, living in a calmer, happier place in which you’re appreciative of the things around you lowers anxiety and makes for a much greater overall satisfaction in life.

When we’re happy, free of stress and sadness, our brains emit endorphins, and our blood pressure is nice and low, and this is also what studies found for people who are grateful in life. Heart health is higher with people who acknowledge the blessings in their lives, too.

We all get sick, but people who exercise gratitude tend to recover from illness at a faster clip. Recovery is a result of the habits being grateful instill. These happy souls intuitively feel they have a good quality of life, and thus stick their prescribed diets, exercise as instructed, and are diligent about their meds.

These habits echo outside of illness, as people who are grateful tend to exercise one and a half times more than those who do not exhibit feelings of gratitude, which is a healthy habit we all can use.

People who are appreciative also sleep better, too. They maintain their weight and have balanced mood. Many who showed these good qualities said they addressed their gratitude before they went to bed each night.

Want to change your ways? There are a number of simple ways you can acknowledge gratitude in your life. Like our friends who addressed their blessings in the evening, taking five minutes before bed to practice mindful meditation in which you acknowledge all the positive things in your life is an excellent place to start.

Some folks list several items they’re grateful for each night. Writing it down on a piece of paper makes the acknowledgment cement into your head. Finding different items each day adds breadth to all the things, big and small, that you are lucky to have in your world.

Finally, change your perspective. This will take some time, but if you try to adopt a glass-half-full outlook, you’ll find the things that seem disparaging might not be so bad after all. You’ll be able to tackle problems easier, and you’ll feel satisfied with life. So sit down and write down five things you’re grateful for right now. You’ll probably feel really good!