The Power of Gratitude: Why You Can’t Feel Anxious and Thankful at the Same Time.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to feel overwhelmed with worry when you're genuinely thankful for something in your life? There's a reason for that—gratitude and anxiety just don't mix well. It turns out, your brain can’t fully hold space for both at the same time. And now, science is backing that up in some powerful ways.

We all experience stress and anxiety—especially in a world that rarely slows down. But new research is showing that practicing gratitude might be one of the most effective and accessible ways to bring a little peace back into your life.

In a 2023 meta-analysis, researchers found that people who practiced gratitude regularly experienced significantly better mental health, including lower levels of anxiety and depression (Yıldırım & Arslan, 2023). That’s a big deal—especially when you consider that simple practices like writing down three things you're thankful for each day can spark that shift.

Healthcare workers, often under extreme stress, also saw benefits from gratitude. A recent study asked nurses in a busy hospital to write daily gratitude notes for 21 days. Not only did their stress levels drop, but their sense of purpose and emotional resilience increased (Clemens et al., 2023). Imagine what that could do for anyone trying to manage anxiety in daily life.

And it doesn’t take long to feel the effects. In a randomized clinical trial with over 1,300 participants, just two weeks of daily gratitude listing led to increased happiness and life satisfaction—and decreased feelings of sadness and worry (Kaczmarek et al., 2024).

Why does gratitude work so well? Brain imaging studies show that practicing gratitude actually lights up parts of the brain associated with emotional regulation and reward (Kini et al., 2016). So, while anxiety tells your brain something’s wrong, gratitude signals that things are okay—and that you're safe, for now.

At the heart of it, gratitude helps ground us. It pulls our attention away from what’s missing or scary and brings us back to what’s good and real in our lives. Whether it's the warmth of your morning coffee, a text from a friend, or just the fact that you made it through the day—those moments matter.

So, if anxiety is creeping in, pause. Breathe. And ask yourself: what can I be grateful for right now? That simple shift could be the most powerful thing you do today.

References

Clemens, K. E., Gallagher-Ford, L., & Taciak, A. (2023). Gratitude practice to decrease stress in acute care nurses: A quality improvement project. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 28(3). https://ojin.nursingworld.org

Kaczmarek, L. D., Kashdan, T. B., & Kulesza, W. (2024). Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: A randomized clinical trial. Generative Futures Journal, 9(1), 45–60.

Kini, P., Wong, J., McInnis, M., Gabana, N., & Brown, J. W. (2016). The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity. NeuroImage, 128, 1–10.

Yıldırım, M., & Arslan, G. (2023). Gratitude and well-being: A meta-analysis and review of interventions. Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(2), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2160251

Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., & Gabana, N. T. (2023). The effectiveness of gratitude interventions on anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 101, 102128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102128