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According to an Irish study, the state of gratitude that one can experience lowers the systolic blood pressure response. A series of stress test experiments demonstrated that this positive feeling would have a unique buffering effect, particularly on post-stress recovery.
The most grateful people, those who know how to take everyday life with enthusiasm and savor the simple pleasures of life would also be the least affected by stress. Normal do you think? However, this is important data to take into account to better understand the links between the way we react, stress and cardiovascular health. A team of Iranian scientists wanted to go a little further in this cause and effect link.
Gratitude makes it easier to recover from stress
Although previous research suggests that gratitude and emotional balance play a key role in reducing stress, this new team has found that little is known about the impact of these variables on cardiovascular recovery after a acute psychological stress. So she conducted a small study to find out if affective balance actually moderates the relationship between gratitude and cardiovascular responses to acute psychological stress.
The research conducted involved 68 undergraduate students (24 male and 44 female), aged 18 to 57. Each completed personal questionnaires on gratitude, emotional balance, habits, etc., before being subjected to a stressful situation. Finally, cardiovascular reactivity and recovery were measured.
By comparing the results, the scientists found that people with higher levels of gratitude predicted lower systolic blood pressure responses throughout the stress test period. According to her, this means that the state of gratitude has a unique buffering effect on reactions to acute psychological stress and on recovery. Good emotional balance has also been found to amplify the effects of gratitude.
An attitude to value in cardiac patients
According to the researchers, the study does not stop at establishing a link between emotional life and stress. It would also have clinical utility. Several exercises can indeed build on the feeling of gratitude, and contribute to a better well-being and this, at a lower cost.
Previous research has shown how heart patients who use “gratitude journals” (notebooks in which you highlight positive thoughts) have better cardiovascular outcomes than those who don’t, for example. Gratitude isn’t just about saying thank you, but it’s a helpful point of intervention for improving our cardiovascular health.