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Giant Brain Candy: Send It, Don’t Just List It. In an experiment spanning 34 countries, writing and sending a gratitude message gave the biggest immediate boost of six gratitude practices. Simply listing blessings gave the smallest. Source: A 34-country gratitude study.
Growing evidenceThe research
  1. Coles, N. A., Dang, A. V., Oishi, S., et al. (2026). A multinational megastudy of the effects of gratitude practices on subjective well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 123(20), e2537789123.

Journey 5 · Gratitude

Send It, Don’t Just List It

In an experiment spanning 34 countries, writing and sending a gratitude message gave the biggest immediate boost of six gratitude practices. Simply listing blessings gave the smallest.

Source: A 34-country gratitude study · Growing evidence

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Giant Brain Candy: It’s the Meaning, Not the Gift. People who read the very same story of being helped felt more grateful when they saw the help as more valuable, more costly to the helper and more freely given. Changing those features changed how grateful people felt. Source: Appraising a kindness.
Giant Brain Candy: The Thank-You Letter Visit. In an online trial of happiness exercises, writing a thank-you letter and delivering it in person gave the biggest immediate lift of all. The boost lasted about a month. Source: The gratitude visit.
Giant Brain Candy: Your Thanks Mean More Than You Think. People writing thank-you letters underestimated how surprised and pleased recipients would be, and overestimated how awkward recipients would feel. The more awkwardness they expected, the less willing they were to write. Source: Undervaluing gratitude.
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