730: EXPRESS THANKFULNESS AND GRATITUDE

“Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy.” —Jefferson Bethke

Expressing thankfulness is a simple yet powerful way to strengthen your marriage.

Gratitude builds emotional intimacy, the workhorse of The 6 Pillars of Intimacy®. Because all the pillars are connected, expressing gratitude can strengthen more than just your emotional pillar, depending on the topic.

It’s important to understand how thankfulness affects you.

Gratitude is more than just the words you say. There are several physiological benefits to expressing thankfulness to your spouse. 

Communicating thankfulness boosts dopamine and serotonin. These “feel-good hormones” improve your mood. When you practice appreciation, your body also releases oxytocin. This hormone expands blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and protects your heart. 

People who regularly express gratitude are more resilient to negative experiences and emotions. Gratitude can also boost self-esteem and improve relationships. 

Thankfulness not only maximizes the good things, but it also helps minimize the bad things. For example, expressing gratitude reduces your levels of cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone. The articulation of appreciation might even counteract depression and suicidal thoughts. 

Overall, expressing gratitude reduces cortisol and increases dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. This is a winning combination! 

Thankfulness affects your body, but it also affects your marriage. When you express gratitude, you change who you are on a physiological level. As a result, you can show up in your marriage as the best version of yourself and pursue the extraordinary marriage you desire. 

Your expression of gratitude will also affect your spouse. Consider how you feel when your spouse thanks you. You likely feel seen and valued when they verbalize their appreciation; the same is true when you thank your spouse. The simple interaction can bring you closer together and strengthen your 6 Pillars of Intimacy®. 

It can be a challenge to implement thankfulness into the nitty-gritty of life.

One solution is to find a tool that empowers you to share gratitude regularly with your spouse, such as a Gratitude Planner. Download the free Gratitude Planner today to incorporate more thankfulness into your marriage.

Designed with busy lives in mind, the Gratitude Planner includes different pages and resources to help you express gratitude in your marriage. You can choose the pages that most resonate with you and complete them individually or as a couple. 

Setting aside time for thankfulness will have a profound effect on your marriage. The Gratitude Planner can help you achieve your gratitude goals by tracking your blessings, learning new expressions of thankfulness, and much more.

When you monitor something, you can determine how much of it exists in your life. That’s why being aware of your gratitude is crucial. When thankfulness is at the forefront of your mind each day, you can intentionally integrate it into your marriage. 

Using a tool like the Gratitude Planner will make you more observant of the things you appreciate. Not only can you track the things you appreciate, but you can also learn new ways to express your thankfulness for even the smallest of things. 

Amid the busyness of life, exercising gratitude helps you slow down and acknowledge your blessings. By setting aside even just 10 or 15 minutes a day, you can take action to strengthen your marriage by sharing gratitude with your spouse.

Resources

Grab the FREE Gratitude Planner

Monopoly Deal Card Game

Connect with Us

Join the ONE Extraordinary Marriage Private Facebook Group to share your story and hear from countless other couples who are creating extraordinary marriages. You can also reach us on the Hug Hotline at 858-876-5663 or hugs@oneextraordinarymarriage.com.