While death is inevitable, it’s something that over half of Americans think about on a daily basis. Some people think about death out of curiosity about the unknown, others think about it out of fear, some think about both - but it is a well known fact that almost everyone has thought about it in some capacity.
While it’s normal to think about it occasionally, overthinking can cause negative health effects, and potentially affect relationships in one's life. U.S. epidemiological surveys suggest that death anxiety affects 10–15% of the population - and because it is more common for older adults to experience situations related to death, these worries are seen more often in older adults.
Research suggests that individuals who are more grateful tend to experience lower levels of fear and anxiety related to death. Gratitude interventions, such as reflecting on positive life experiences with thankfulness, can reduce death anxiety and promote a sense of a life well-lived. But that isn’t the only thing gratitude can do - according to BMC Psychology, it also “fosters optimism, promotes support for others, encourages physical exercise, and improves the quality of sleep”. There are also studies that claim gratitude might even be a key factor of a longer life.
So, how do we practice gratitude, so that it can translate into optimism? There are many ways to express gratitude, but some easy ones are journaling, mindfulness exercises, acts of kindness, and expressing thanks to those who have positively impacted you.
In a world where the reality of death can often feel heavy, practicing gratitude offers a quiet but powerful shift - reminding us that while we can’t control the end, we can choose how we experience the moments in between. Gratitude doesn’t just lighten fear; it expands life.
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