There's an extensive literature on the effects of gratitude on mental health and general well-being. Gratefulness boosts happiness, reduces negative thoughts and feelings, increases your self-esteem, improves your relationships, etc. It even has workplace applications: managers and executives that practice gratefulness are overall better leaders due to better decision-making and motivational abilities. Of course, since mental and physical health are closely connected, it's no wonder that gratefulness has also been linked to better sleep, blood pressure reduction, and faster recovery from conditions. These are some fairly impressive benefits for what amounts to simple practices you can implement right now. If you want to know where to start, this article has some suggestions for gratitude exercises. Even simple journaling for a few minutes can already make a huge impact in your life.