The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time

by Alex Korb

Gratitude Boosts Serotonin One powerful effect of gratitude is that it can boost serotonin. Trying to think of things to be grateful for forces you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. This simple act increases serotonin production in the anterior cingulate cortex.9 The same study that found this also showed that remembering sad events decreases serotonin production in the anterior cingulate. Thus, remembering positive events has a twofold effect: it directly increases serotonin and indirectly keeps you from remembering negative events. Gratitude Improves Sleep Gratitude is a great way to start an upward spiral, because it can improve your sleep—and we know from chapter 7 how important that is. A Canadian study took a group of college students with insomnia and asked them to keep a daily gratitude journal for a week.10 This simple intervention led to improved sleep, reduced physical problems, and less worrying. Even in people with chronic pain,11 gratitude improves sleep and reduces anxiety and depression.